Locks and keys play an important role in our everyday lives, securing our homes, personal belongings, and office spaces. Unfortunately, with the passage of time, all locks and keys eventually become damaged and outdated, and they no longer serve their purposes, automatically leading to a significant amount of waste. Fortunately, recycling old locks and keys is a sustainable solution that can help effectively reduce this waste while preserving the planet’s natural resources.
How Does Key Recycling Work?
Since standard keys and locks are made of metal, they are considered scrap metal, which can be melted down and reused in the form of new metal, just like any other item made of metal. The procedure is straightforward: once recyclable metal keys are sorted, they reach a shredder, a machine that breaks down all the sheets and pieces of metal.
Here, even the largest metal pieces are turned into manageable components by the powerful shredders. Next, the metal pieces go through a purification process, and they are melted at very high temperatures. Finally, the completely melted metal from the keys and locks can be further used by the manufacturing and production industries for various purposes.
Where to Recycle Your Metal Keys and Locks?
Your old metal keys and locks can be taken to a local recycling center that collects, manipulates, and recycles mixed metals. You could also consider a scrap metal yard that purchases and recycles metal items. Another option is to dump them in a curbside metal recycling bin for similar end results or donate them to a recycling program that accepts keys and locks at preset drop-off locations. Some of these programs specialize in offering curbside pick-up services for more convenience.
Unfortunately, not all recycling centers host recycling machines designated for metals, so you need to confirm this with your recycling center before getting your keys ready for recycling. We advise you to research your region’s closest metal recycling centers and scrap metal curbside locations. Use your zip code to look up the exact location and rules for these centers on the city or municipality sanitation websites.
Reusing and Recycling Old Locks and Keys
If you cannot find any nearby recycling center or scrap metal yards, consider reusing your locks and keys by giving them a new purpose. For example, you could create art, jewelry, and interesting home decorations with them. Antique and rare key and lock models can also be auctioned off or sold to collectors. You could contact a nearby locksmith service for additional tips on reusing and recycling old keys and locks. Be sure to ask them if they are running a key recycling service.
Many locksmith companies specialize not only in cutting keys or fixing locks but also focus on offering sustainable solutions to their clients, including metal lock and key recycling options. Before getting ready to dump an old key or lock into a recycling bin, ensure you are given the green light by a professional lock technician who can determine if it can repair them and extend their lifespan.
How to Prepare Your Keys for Recycling
Before placing them in the bin or getting them ready for recycling, thoroughly clean your locks and keys from any residue and oils and remove all the plastic and rubber key indicators on your keys, with special emphasis on transponder keys. Trying to recycle a smart key is usually a more demanding process. Since these keys have embedded electronic chips, recycling them requires a little more skill to separate the mix of metal and plastic components from one another.
For optimum results, we recommend paying special attention to small-sized keys for windows, mailboxes, cabinets, closets, and drawers, which are even smaller than standard keys and may be more difficult to recycle. To ensure all your keys get recycled correctly, put them in an aluminum can which you can squash before dropping them in the recycling bin dedicated to metal.
When using scrap metal yards for recycling, separate your locks and keys from your steel beams and aluminum cans. Also, remember that keys and locks can be recycled with brass, copper, stainless steel, and other non-ferrous metals.
Final Thoughts
Recycling old locks and keys presents an eco-friendly solution to minimize waste and promote sustainability; they, can undergo a simple yet effective key recycling process. By recycling locks and keys, you’re making a responsible choice for the environment, reducing waste, and contributing to a greener future.
Explore our website for additional eco-friendly home security tips and information on solar-powered security systems. If you are looking for more ways to reduce your carbon footprint and be environmentally conscious in home security, click here to find more eco-friendly ways for efficient home security.
