Ways to Recycle an Old Bathtub

Most remodeling jobs leave you with the question of what to do with the old stuff you have removed. If you are trying to be eco friendly you should try to recycle or reuse what ever materials you can. If you have recently replaced a bathtub, it seems a shame to toss the old tub in a landfill. It has withstood water for years so it's not really biodegradable. There are many ways to consider recycling the tub.

1. Consider donating it: If the tub is still in decent condition it can be donated to a local agency like the Goodwill or Salvation Army. The bathtub may not be brand new or fancy, but if someone's tub has totally broken through, your old tub could be a lifesaver for those in a financial pinch. Check with your local charitable organizations, or even Habitat for Humanity to see if they take used bathtubs. You may have to haul it to them, but it will be a small price to pay to help someone out.

2. Make a camping cooler: If you have a permanent camp site the old bathtub can be recycled into a large ice chest for cold drinks. This would be great if you frequently host large parties and cookouts at your campsite, or even in your backyard. Just fill the old bathtub with ice, toss in your cold beverages and cover it with a small tarp in extremely hot weather. The drain hole allows the melted ice water to run out so you never have to worry about dumping out water to add more ice.

3. Use it for a watering trough: If you happen to raise pigs, horses or cattle you can haul the old bathtub to the pasture fence and use it for an extra watering trough. Plug the drain hole with a tight fitting rubber plug just like you would in the bathroom. The sleek sides of the bathtub hose off quite easily so that you are always assured of your animals having fresh clean water too.

4. Set the tub by your curb: You don't want the tub sitting on your lawn for long, but before you try to figure out the best thing to do with it, set it by the road and place a "Free" sign on it. It can surely sit there while you are installing the new bathtub and you may come outside to find it gone. Someone may drive by and decide they have a use for it.

Be creative and try to think of a way the old bathtub can be recycled before you haul it to a landfill. You may not be able to use it for anything, but that doesn't mean someone else doesn't have a use for it. Landfills are way to full as it is. Remodel responsibly.

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