Garden Hoses Are a “No”

Recycling Rules

It’s that special time of year in Siouxland when we are able to start getting outside again to take care of our lawns and gardens. Along with the many gardening tools you’ll be using to make your yard look just right, garden hoses often get upgraded or tossed out.

Please DO NOT put your garden hose in the recycling bin!

What types are no’s? All of them. Rubber, Coil, Flexible, Expandable, Vinyl, PVC, Polyester, Sprinkler, Flat, Heavy Duty, Garden Soaker…. all types of hoses.

Why Can’t We Recycle Garden Hoses?

Garden hoses are made out of a mixture of different types of materials, making them very difficult to recycle. The Sioux Falls Single Stream recycling list is very specific to items the process can handle, and garden hoses are NOT one of them.  Along with their complicated makeup, if “stringy” items like garden hoses make it onto the processing line, they can easily get caught in our recycling equipment and force us to shut down the entire line to physically cut them out, wasting time, possibly damaging our equipment and posing a safety hazard to our employees.

 

What Should You Do with Garden Hoses?

If your hose can be reused, donate it to a local thrift store so someone else can use it! If it’s not able to be reused and you don’t want to just throw it away, try to make something new with it – Check out these ideas from Make-Stuff.com or these from GardeningChannel.com.

 


 

Have other questions? Check out our handy Where Do I Take This Tool for a complete list of where to take odd items for proper recycling or disposal. If what you’re looking for is not on the list, ask us! We’ll help you find the best disposal option in our area.