If you’ve finished renovating your bathroom, you might be left with an old toilet you don’t have any idea what to do with. Should you leave it curbside and wait for some good samaritan to pick it up? Well, while most cities allow this, in some places, this kind of toilet negligence might cost you a hefty fine.
Don’t worry if you don’t know what to do. Our article will give insight into how you can safely dispose of your old toilet. On the other hand, safe can be boring, so for young-at-heart homeowners, we included a fun section for extraordinary ways to dispose of your old toilet.
Safe Ways to Dispose of an Old Toilet
When the time comes for your trusty old toilet to head to the eternal porcelain fields, you must dismantle it safely. Toilets are heavy items, so before starting the dismantling process, try to find a neighbor or friend who will lend a helping hand.
First, shut off the water supply and dismantle the toilet by separating the water tank from the bowl. Then, you should unscrew the bolts holding the toilet firmly in the ground.
Once the toilet is partly dismantled, ensure no water is left in the tank or bowl. You can use a sponge and a bucket to soak up any leftover water. Don’t try to break the toilet into smaller pieces as porcelain or any other type of chinaware is razor-sharp when broken down.
After you have dismantled the toilet, there are many options for safe disposal besides a curbside resting place. The factors may vary between city and county, but here are the most straightforward and safe ways to dispose of your old toilet.
Habitat For Humanity
This is a donation via a non-governmental service. The Habitat for Humanity ReStore organization is a group of retailers and merchants selling brand-new household appliances. They use the proceeds from their sales to fund community-oriented projects for people in need. You can contact them to confirm whether they accept used toilets and come to an agreement about transportation logistics.
Local Solid Waste Disposal Services
This one will require you to do a quick Google search. Simply find your local solid waste disposal service and check whether they provide curbside pickup services for solid waste, including old toilets. In some places, simply leaving your toilet on the curb will get the job done, but waste disposal services will require prior notice in other places. Sometimes, the waste service will not provide curbside pickups and will ask you to deliver the old toilet to their station.
If pickup services are available in your municipality or county, place the toilet curbside on the designated pick-up day. It’s best if you empty out the toilet from non-porcelain items such as the plumbing mechanism and the toilet seat if the company asks you to.
Apartment residents should check with their local waste disposal company to see whether they allow toilets in regular garbage dumpsters.
Transfer Stations and Landfills
Depending on your area of residency, you could dispose of your old toilet in a solid waste transfer station or a garbage disposal facility. These facilities dispose of items that cannot be picked up like regular garbage. Using a transfer facility may incur a fee, especially if you’re a non-residential customer. Make sure to call or write an email beforehand to acquire information about pickups, prices, and other information that might be useful for disposing of your old toilet.
Recycling Centers
This one is straightforward as well. Find your local recycling center and see whether they accept porcelain waste. You can get references for decent recycling centers from your local water district or district waste authority.
Some recycling centers will charge you a fee for dropping off your toilet, so it’s recommended that you call or write them before you make your decision.
Post Your Old Toilet Online
You can get in touch with numerous recycling groups in your area in just a couple of minutes, thanks to social media, and post your toilet there. It’s best to leave a picture and note the make and model of your toilet and your phone number. You’ll see that your toilet will find a new home in no time.
You can also simply post your toilet with a free giveaway notice and wait for someone to take you up on that offer. In most cases, someone will come to pick up the toilet, and you won’t have to worry about transporting it to a disposal center.
Fun Ways to Dispose of Your Toilet
Now that we’ve covered the safe and orthodox methods of toilet disposal, it’s time to have a little fun and let our creative side unroll the roll.
Repurpose the Toilet
Did you know that your old john can be transformed into something very cool? Instead of discarding your old faithful, you can repurpose it into something beautiful as a decorative planter. The water tank and the bowl can be repurposed to plant decorative flowers in your garden. You simply need to clean and repaint the toilet and fill it with dirt and potting soil to create your own custom flower pot. You can later decorate it with pieces of glass and stones to achieve a pretty mosaic tone.
You can also repurpose the toilet into an outdoor fish tank or a turtle house. This might require some plumbing skills but nothing out of the ordinary. It’s a cheap and exciting way to keep pets while recycling at the same time. Imagine how cool it would be to have a fish bowl in your toilet. You can even use the tank to create a water filtration system, or you can use it to store fish food.
Honestly, the options are limitless: You can repurpose the toilet seat to make an interesting chair, hang it up on the wall like a picture frame, or create an outside drinking bowl for stray dogs. Just let your creativity flow as the toilet has flowed with water all those years.
Go Out With a Bang
If you want to send off your toilet with honors, then filling it with Sodium and flushing the tank will make it look like the 4th of July. Sodium is one of the most reactive substances when combined with water. The effect is pretty similar to fireworks, so yes, you need to wear protective gear. We’re talking goggles, gloves, a helmet, and a protective suit if possible.
When the fireworks are done, you will have to dispose of your toilet in one of the old-fashioned manners we’ve mentioned earlier in the article.
Don’t Flush Sodium Down The Toilet
Get Medieval With It
Do you know what a Trebuchet is? It’s a long-armed catapult that was used in medieval times to lay sieges to castles or any fortifications. It uses the force of gravity to sling a stone or, in your case, a toilet a fair distance away.
This would require you to build a trebuchet but don’t lose hope. You can rent a trebuchet from the Medieval-Siege Society and use your toilet as ammunition for the said trebuchet. This could be a fun family activity, and you can also take the chance to learn a bit about history. Honestly, we see no better way of saying goodbye to your old toilet than slinging it 100 yards in the air from a real trebuchet.
To Part Ways With Your Toilet
Having fun while renovating will boost your morale and increase the overall mood of the household. While you can opt for the safe route, having a bit of fun won’t hurt anybody. If you don’t want to go extreme, simply incorporating your old toilet into your backyard decoration or art collection could be fun.
