How To Dispose Off Window Blinds? (Might Surprise You)

While we put plenty of thought into purchasing the right kind of blinds for our homes or offices, we often neglect researching the correct way to dispose of old window blinds.

If your old blinds are in fairly decent condition, the best thing to do would be to donate them to someone in need or resale them at a local shop.

However, if they’re unsalvageable (say, they ended up becoming your dog’s favorite toy and were ripped to shreds), then you might want to check out various recycling methods based on the material of your blinds.

In this article, we cover everything you need to know about disposing of old blinds. Read on!

Here’s How You Should Dispose Off Old Window Blinds?

You can dispose of your old blinds by adopting any of these three practices – recycle, reuse, or upcycle.

This Article Contains

Here's How You Should Dispose Off Old Window Blinds?
How Do I Dispose of Different Types of Blinds?
What Do I Do With Old Blinds?
How Do I Remove Blinds for Recycling?
How Do I Recycle Different Types of Blinds?
Sources

We cover each of these methods of disposal in the following sections.

Old blinds do not need to make their way to the garbage bins. You can adopt environmentally friendly ways to dispose of them. Recycling is an ideal method for disposing of old plastic blinds made of polyvinyl chloride or polyester.

However, it may be worthwhile to note that not all types of blinds are recyclable. For example, wood and bamboo blinds are treated, varnished, and painted, because of which they cannot be recycled.

Additionally, while some recycling centers might accept blinds made of vinyl and aluminum, others might not. It’s best to inquire at your local recycling center before you carry all your old blinds to them.

For blinds that cannot be recycled due to the use of potentially contaminated products, you can choose to compost or repurpose them.

Related:

How Do I Dispose of Different Types of Blinds?

Roller grey black-out blinds half rolled

Depending on the material of your blinds, the following are some ways you can dispose of them:

Roller Blinds

Most people advise against disposing of old roller blinds unless they are way past the point of being repurposed.

If they are, inquire about how environmentally friendly the material is, and its various component parts should be disposed of at your local recycling center or your original seller (if they have recycling facilities).

If your old roller blinds have a faulty internal mechanism because of which they are not working properly, you can repurpose them and give them a new life.

Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds are generally made of synthetic polyester fabric, which is easy to clean, durable, and fade-resistant.

Since polyester is a man-made material, it does not break down as easily as natural fibers like wool, silk, or cotton.

For these reasons, it is suitable to recycle or repurpose vertical blinds rather than dispose of them directly in the garbage bins, where they will ultimately end up as non-decomposable material in landfills.

Cellular Shades

Cellular shades are made using metal components, a plastic headrail, and 100% polyester fabric.

Currently, we do not have the technology to melt polyester fabric into recyclable materials. Therefore, the best way to dispose of them is by reusing them to make quilts or as fillers for your homes or cars. To reuse them, simply cut the head and bottom rail off the fabric, and take it to a textile store to shred the fabric and use it for insulation.

What Do I Do With Old Blinds?

Get creative! There are plenty of ways you can repurpose old, worn-out blinds.

Here are just a few:

Use the blind slats to make labels. You can use the paint slats of vinyl, wood, or metal blinds to make labels for boxes and bins.
Use them as a cover for your headboard. If you have some old linen blinds lying around, you can weave them over your bed’s headboard and staple them in place to create an updated look.
Make an aesthetic starburst mirror out of them. Trim the edges of your old blind slats and use hot glue to stick them to the back of a mirror. You can get extra creative and paint the slats to match your room décor as well!
Make a quilt design wall art. Cut old bamboo blinds to fit a designated space on your wall and staple some quilt batting to the blinds. These make for a colorful display piece in your room.
Use the blind slats in your garden as a marker. Use them to label rows of seeds or bedding plants in your backyard.
Cut mini blind slats into different sizes of bookmarks. Get creative with decorating and painting them and adding colorful strings or ribbons. These adorable bookmarks make for excellent inexpensive DIY gifts.
Use the long blind slats as a rescuer for out-of-reach items!
Use the slats to make a lighting fixture shade for your lamp or chandelier. Cut the slats into different lengths, patterns, or at different angles to play with the light’s brightness or cast beautifully patterned shadows on the walls.
Make a picture frame out of the wooden blind slats by stacking them on top of each other in offset layers. Use a wood adhesive to stick them together firmly. You can either leave them as is or add a coat of paint to complement your room’s décor.
Make drawer dividers out of your old bamboo or wood blinds to add an element of rustic décor to your room.

How Do I Remove Blinds for Recycling?

Before you take your blinds to the recycling centers, it is important to remove all the strings and wash them.

To remove the blinds, follow these steps:

Take off the valance on the blinds.
Open the blinds’ brackets.
Remove the window blinds from the brackets.
Finally, remove the brackets by taking out the screws that hold them to the window frame.

How Do I Recycle Different Types of Blinds?

Metal blinds are considered to be the easiest material to recycle. Here we talk about the right way to recycle old blinds based on their type and material:

Bamboo Shades

Bamboo shades are often made with treated or stained wood, which is not recyclable. The threads of the woven wood shades might get caught up in and jeopardize the machinery at the recycling facilities.

However, some bamboo blinds are biodegradable if they are not do not contain contaminating substances. The best way to recycle bamboo shades/blinds would be to reuse them as placemats, wall hangings, lampshades, etc.

Mini Blinds

Mini blinds are made of aluminum or steel, which are 100% recyclable materials and can be taken to any recycling center or scrap metal yard.

Before unloading them, ensure to clean them properly, and remove each recyclable component separately, such as the metal headrail. Some recycling centers might only accept steel or aluminum slats and not the entire blind.

If you have old blinds lying around, it is important to consider that reusing anything is better than recycling because there is no extra energy required to transform the material into something else.

If your old blinds are simply out of fashion but still functional, plenty of charity organizations would be more than happy to accept them from you. We hope this guide helped you decide on the best ways to dispose of your old blinds!