So you have decided that your old, familiar cookware has reached the end of its life – at least in your home.  Your first instinct may be to just throw it away.  Please don’t!  If you throw it away, it will just take up landfill space, working against our planet.  You have a multitude of efficient and environmentally friendly options for you.

Before you send your cookware anywhere, take a look around the house for ideas.  Can you think of anything to use it for besides cooking?  Make sure to take a look outside as well. Reusing used cookware should be your first consideration.  Consider turning your used cookware into a planter, animal bowl, or storage for your workshop.  You might even want to add the cookware to your camping supplies.  Use your decent looking old cookware to add to the décor of your home or set it aside for your kids to “cook” with – they will have a blast working alongside you in the kitchen.  For additional ideas, take a moment to look over “Renew your old cookware section”.  Renewing your cookware is not only environmentally friendly, but it will save you money too.  Renewing used cookware also means that you will likely purchase fewer goods that will eventually need recycling themselves, which further helps the environment.    

If you can’t think of any use for your old cookware around the house, then consider donating it to a charity.  For your convenience, we have included a comprehensive list under the “Reuse your cookware”. Here you will find a listing of all charities in the United States that will accept used cookware donations.  Their contact information is included.  Locate your city and state by searching your zipcode and take your used cookware to the charity nearest you.   The cookware that you are tired of may delight someone else or really help out a charity with a minimal budget.  Whether you choose to donate to a nearby Goodwill, Salvation Army, homeless shelter, church, or other charity is totally up to you.  Finding a charity to pass the cookware onto shouldn’t be much of a challenge.  Even the smallest towns have charitable organizations.  Put the cookware in your car so that you can drop it off at one of the many convenient locations on our list when you’re out and about.  If you know of another charity that can benefit from being on our list you can add it on the bottom of the page on the Reuse Section.

You can still be kind to the environment if your used cookware is just too worn out to be reused.  Find a recycling center that will allow you to drop off scrap metal in your community.  The easiest way to do this is to refer to our list of “Recycle your old cookware”.  Here you will find a detailed listing of over 17,000 scrap metal recyclers in the United States.  There is a very good chance that you have one near you, especially since most states are very proactive about recycling.  Some states even have laws that enforce consumer recycling.  If you’re still not sure where to recycle your used cookware, you should be able to find recycling information on your state or local website.  This is also listed in the Recycle Section of the website by searching your zipcode.  You can also check your local Yellow Pages or call your local government for information.  For those of you still having trouble, keep in mind that not all states allow consumers to put used cookware in a recycle bin.  For a breakdown of aluminum, stainless steel, and cast iron recycling by state please refer to “Recycling by State”.

Be on the lookout for people and organizations in your community or elsewhere that go above and beyond everyone else to promote recycling or doing good.  Take a look at our list of “People and Organizations” to get you started on finding somewhere close to you. Feel free to add to our list as well.

Make sure to separate the handles and lids from your cookware before you recycle them.  Some of them are designed for easy removal while others may take a little bit of time.  Regardless, this minimal effort really will go a long way.  Cookware handles and lids are typically composed of glass, bakelite, silicone, or stainless steel.  All of these materials are recyclable like your used cookware is, but may need to be recycled separately. 

Choosing whether to renew, reuse, or recycle your used cookware is totally up to you.  You have multiple options that don’t take much effort on your part.  Whatever you decide, please remember cook well. do good.