How To Recycle Brass Door Knobs And Handles

Revamping your cabinet doors and wondering what to do with old door knobs or handles? Don’t chuck them in the bin just yet, there’s a chance they could be recycled ♻️

LENNON shines bright on kitchen cabinets 🌟

If your door knobs are made with metal, brass or glass, it’s highly likely they’re recyclable (unlikely for door knobs made from wood or pottery clays). In the case of metal, this material is 100% recyclable, permanent and can last forever. This means it can always be remade into something new, a process that emits significantly less CO₂ than production from raw materials. Ditching landfill sites and recycling your door knobs instead is an easy-peasy way to do your bit for environmental sustainability.

With that in mind, we’re sharing our door knobs recycling ideas, ranging from repurposing your hardware as vases and clothes hangers, through to tray feet and window blind tie backs. We’ll be focusing on brass specifically, which is one of the most popular metals out there and what our entire product range was made from up until 2021. That was when we adapted our material choices to reduce our carbon footprint, which you can read more about on our site 🌍

Can Brass Door Knobs Be Recycled? 🤔

There are endless possibilities of what old metals can be reused for, yet UK landfill contains up to £360bn of unharvested valuable metals. Scratching your head and wondering can you recycle brass door knobs? The simple answer is yes! Brass has a number of useful properties, including:

High electrical conductivity – brass is used for the pins in a 13-amp plug

High thermal conductivity – good for removing heat efficiently, such as through car radiators

Impressive strength – durability for security products such as locks which must resist bending

The way your brass door knobs can be recycled is by being melted down into their individual component elements, which consist of copper, zinc, lead and tin.

So, instead of putting your hardware in your recycling bin with other materials, here’s how to recycle old brass door knobs:

Option 1 – Send it to your local recycling station 🚶‍♀️

It’s always worth asking your local recycling station or centre if they take brass. Before sending it on, use a clean cloth and wipe the brass down to remove any dirt, debris or cobwebs. It may help the recycling station if you put items that are still usable as they are into one bag, and everything else in another.

If your local recycling station doesn’t accept brass, ask if they know of any other local resources for donating or selling brass door knobs. Alternatively, you can return your recycled hardware to us for FREE by  creating a returns label with Royal Mail 📮

Option 2 - Sell it to a scrap metal dealer 💲

In the UK, brass manufacturers depend almost completely on brass scrap to manufacture new products and components. You can sell your brass scrap directly to scrap metal dealers, who will then sell it onto manufacturers for reuse. Remember that the price of metal fluctuates daily, so it’s best to speak to scrap experts to know roughly what kind of figure to expect.

You’ll want to dispose of your scrap metal in a responsible fashion and to help you avoid any scams or dodgy deals, we thought we’d break down the process. You should approach a reputable scrap yard, ideally one that’s registered with the British Metals Recycling Association. You should then ask to see one of the following licences belonging to the scrap metal dealer:

```
A site collector’s licence
```
```
A mobile collector’s licence
```

The seller will want to see your identification in the form of a photocard driving licence (which shows your address), followed by your current passport and supporting documents, such as:

Utility bill (not phone bill)

```
Bank or building society statement
```
```
Debit or credit card statement
```
```
Council tax letter
```

Here’s where you should pay extra attention. According to the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013, it’s illegal to pay cash or accept cash for scrap metal, including when sold from your home address. If you’re caught accepting cash, you could be dealt a hefty fine. The most common way people accept payments for scrap metals nowadays is electronically, but you can also accept a cheque.

What Else Can You Recycle With Brass Door Knobs?

We may be stating the obvious, but you’ll get more cash if you flog more brass. And it’s not just brass door knobs or handles that can be recycled either – think of all the household brass you’d typically throw out during a renovation, including:

```
Carpet edging strips
```
```
Light fittings
```
```
Door bolts and locks
```
```
Coat hooks
```
```
Handrails
```
```
Ornaments
```
```
Old letterboxes
```
```
Old door knockers
```
```
Screws and pins
```
```
Pipes
```
```
Garden taps and hose fittings
```

Of course, if you dust off some particularly old or unusual antique brass items during a clear-out, it’s worth researching them or consulting an antiques dealer before putting them up for sale. You never know what gems could be up in your loft!

Plank Hardware Brass Kitchen handle — Our KEPLER Heavyweight Handle making a statement on kitchen cabinets ⭐

How Can You Repurpose Your Brass Door Knobs and Handles? 💡

Upcycling your old brass door knobs and handles is way more fun and satisfying than simply disposing of them. This process revolves around finding a cool new way to reuse something old, giving the item a new lease of life. All you need is some free time, a creative mind and ideas on where your hardware can be put to best use in your home. Good news – we’ve got all the inspiration you could ever need.

Wardrobe Storage 👗

Hack your way to more wardrobe space by using your old T-bar handles to hang your clothes. Once you’ve installed the handles (yes, you can use multiple), you’ll find that you’re able to store more clothes from the front to the back of your wardrobe, space that may have previously gone to waste if you were using a single clothes rail. Top it off by categorising each handle based on the item type, which will make it even easier to quickly find the clothes you’re looking for early doors

Quirky Lids ☕

If you fancy putting a creative twist on your tea, coffee and sugar containers, look no further than your drawer or cabinet knobs. Attach them to the lids of your containers for an eclectic design touch, and you’ll find them easier to open too! Why not look in your bathroom and bedroom next to see if there are any other containers, jars or pots you could accessorise in this way? 👀

Clothes Hooks 🪂

An inventive way to hang your bags, hats or clothes is by using your door knobs as makeshift hooks. Just get your old door knobs together, along with a flat plank. Nail or fix the old door knobs to the plank, then nail the plank to your wall. Alternatively, use our Knob to Hook Conversion Kit, to easily convert your old knob into a hook 👏 

You don’t just have to do this in your hallway – it could work wonders for holding towels and dressing gowns in your bathroom (particularly if you have kids or a partner known for leaving things lying around 🤦).

CAREY keeping a bathroom towel off the floor 💪

Tray Feet 📥

Forget buying a brand new serving tray and repurpose your existing one using, you guessed it, your cabinet door knobs! In a dreamy combination of elegance and functionality, use four equally sized door knobs to create feet for your tray. You’ll want to glue the knobs under the serving tray, ensuring they’re positioned towards the edge of the tray to help it balance. Use the tray for your kitchen utensils, transporting food or even just as a delightful, decorative piece (add a few scented candles and a pretty book cover for the minimalist aesthetic).

This table riser stands proudly thanks to some brass knobs 🌟

Window Blind Tie Backs ☀

How annoying is it when your window blinds or curtain tie backs break or show signs of damage? For a stylish touch to your window treatment, we suggest using your old door knobs as new tie backs. They’ll help hold unruly curtains, while letting light into your space. Simply remove the broken or worn-out tie backs and glue the door knobs to the exact position you want your new ones to go.

SHOP BRASS HARDWARE

And there you have it. There are so many different ways you can recycle your old brass door knobs and handles. All of which are much better than clogging up our lovely planet with unnecessary landfill, don’t you think? If you’re keen to put one of our ideas into action, or try something we haven’t mentioned, keep us in the loop and tag @plankhardware so we can see your upcycled creations 📸

Blog