Over the course of owning a swimming pool, countless amounts of pool supplies and accessories are purchased. As equipment is replaced, a collection of old unusable equipment begins to form. At this point, the old equipment is either thrown out or stuffed into a corner of the garage – only delaying the formation of a mini pool supply landfill. But what if there was a better way?
Initially, most pool owners assume that the majority of their leftover equipment and supplies are unrecyclable, but that’s far from the case. In fact, some equipment can even be sold for a profit depending on where you bring it, but we’ll get into that shortly. For now, let’s start with the basics.
Recycling Pool Chemicals
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When it comes to pool chemicals, it’s important to remember a few things right off the bat. Always practice proper chemical storage. Certain chemicals may not react nicely with others, so to avoid any potential safety hazards, never attempt to mix chemicals even if it saves space. In regards to recycling, pool chemicals are treated as a hazardous household waste. Therefore, it’s best to bring the chemicals to your local Hazardous Household Waste facility. These facilities ensure that the chemicals are disposed of or repurposed properly without any unneeded harm to the environment.
Recycling Pool Equipment
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Items like your pump and filter can typically be sold to scrap yards for a decent monetary gain. With a Google search, you may also be able to find a few specialty businesses close by that will buy the equipment from your for purposes of refurbishment.
Recycling PVC plastic
PVC plastic can be both recycled or repurposed depending on what your end goal is. It should be noted that not all recycling centers deal with PVC, so it’s best to either call ahead or seek out a speciality plastic recycling facility. Granted, if you’re a bit on the creative side, you can easily repurpose PVC tubing for a variety of uses throughout the house that include organizers, plant holders, and even chairs.
*Certain scrap yards may also buy some of your PVC
Recycling ABS plastic
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Typically used on smaller components within pools and pool equipment, ABS is the highly durable yet less recyclable cousin of PVC. In fact, ABS plastics are among the most difficult plastics to recycle in existence and often end up populating landfills across the nation. However, certain manufacturers allow consumers to return their ABS plastics – so it’s an option that’s somewhere along the lines of “recycling”. Otherwise, ABS plastic, much like PVC, can be repurposed to reduce waste.
Recycling Metal
Any metal that lies within your collection of unusable pool equipment is an opportunity for profit. Ladders, pool lights, and pumps are among a few of the most common sources of metal within a setup. Most of these metals can either be recycled or sold depending on the type. For example, non-ferrous metals, which include copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel and bronze can be sold to scrap yards for varying amounts of profit. On the other hand, ferrous metals, such as steel and iron are not as valuable, but can luckily still be recycled at most recycling centers (scrap yards may also offer to recycle these metals).
Recycling Fiberglass
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Most commonly found in pool slides, filter tanks, and as the choice construction material in the swimming pool industry, fiberglass is another highly durable material. It’s designed to stand wear and tear while maintaining its structure and looks. Unfortunately, fiberglass isn’t a material that can just be tossed in your blue bin, but doesn’t mean it’s unrecyclable. There are plenty of recyclers and traders that gladly accept fiberglass scrap. Amour Fiber Core, Inc., a division of American Fiber Green Products specializes in the recycling of fiberglass scrap material.
Recycling Vinyl
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Last but not least is vinyl, the material that nearly all pool blankets are comprised. Luckily this material isn’t as much of a headache to deal with as the others. Vinyl pool covers that are in good condition can easily be sold to other pools owners via a classified ad. Otherwise, you can toss the vinyl into your blue bin or bring it to your local recycling center.
We hope you found this guide to be helpful!
Pat yourself on the back for keeping the Earth a little bit “greener.”
