How to Throw Out an Old Trash Can

One of the most difficult situations you will face in your adult life - not for the faint of heart - is the disposal of a trash can you don't want anymore!

You wouldn't think this would be difficult, and neither did my wife and I, until about a month ago. We bought a new trash can for our kitchen and put the old one, empty, out on the curb the next trash night with our bagged trash and our full recycling can.

When my wife went out the next morning to bring in the recycling can, there was the empty kitchen trash can right alongside!

"Hmmmm.... I guess they don't realize that we mean to throw the can away," I thought to myself. I quickly got a permanent magic marker and a sheet of paper, wrote TRASH in big, wide letters on the paper, and taped it to the front of the trash can. We put the trash can out on the curb again the next trash night.

When my wife went out the next morning to bring in the recycling can, there was the kitchen trash can with the big TRASH sign on the front of it!

"Maybe they didn't see the sign," I thought to myself. I tore off the sign, got the permanent marker and wrote directly on the front of the can in big letters, "THIS CAN IS TRASH - PLEASE TAKE!" We put the can out on the curb again on the next trash night.

When my wife went out the next morning to bring in the recycling can, there was the graffiti-covered trash can right alongside again!

"What do I have to do to get rid of this trash can?" I wondered. I got my trusty hacksaw and cut the can in half across the middle, put it in a black trash bag, tied it off and put the bag out on the curb this past trash night.

This time, when my wife went out the next morning to bring in the recycling can, the can was gone. But we felt bad that it was a recyclable can, and that it probably was going with regular trash since we put it in a bag.

LESSIONS LEARNED:

1.) If you are throwing away a trash can and are going to put a sign on it saying so, write ALL OVER THE CAN to make sure it is seen. It may even be good idea to write in English and Spanish as well, to make sure there is no language barrier to getting your can taken away.

2.) Cutting the can in half (which could be tough, if it's a metal can) and bagging it works, but it probably won't be recycled.

3.) If you know where your municipal recycling center is, and the can is recyclable, take it there and discard it yourself!

4.) MOST IMPORTANTLY, maybe that old trash can wasn't so bad after all - why throw it away?