What to Do With Your Old Treatments
Congratulations! You just upgraded your home’s look and feel with new window fashions, and your style is more on point than ever. But what do you do with the old treatments? At Window Products serving Westport, we know that environmental issues are important to many of our clients, and they want to try to keep as much out of landfills as possible. That’s why we’re providing this list of suggestions for ways to keep old treatments useful. Read on!
Places for Reuse
If your window treatments still work, the best thing is to donate them for reuse by someone else. Check with Habitat For Humanity Restore, Salvation Army or Goodwill Stores, family members, friends, or college students. Hopefully someone out there get more life out of your old shades.
Recycling Options
If your window treatments don’t work or are damaged in some way, you might be able to recycle them—or at least parts of them. Here are some options:
- Aluminum or Metal Blinds. We already have the infrastructure to recycle metals at scrap yard. Before you take your aluminum blinds in, give them a quick clean and then remove all the strings, freeing the slats from the headrail.
- Fabric Roman Shades and Draperies. If your old fabric roman shades or draperies are ripped or torn, cut the fabric away from the hardware and give it to a clothing donation center like Salvation Army or Goodwill. Be sure to recycle the hardware.
- Wood, Faux Wood, or Woven Wood Blinds. Unfortunately, if your wood or woven wood blinds have been stained, painted, or treated or if your faux wood blinds have PVC in them, they can’t be recycled. But parts can be used in an after-school program that for art projects or in projects in your own home. Cut the slats into small pieces and use them to level furniture or use full slats line shelves, etc. Be sure to recycle the hardware.
- Honeycomb or Cellular Shades. Honeycomb shades are typically made from polyester fabric, which is already made from recycled materials. Unfortunately, there is no technology available today to turn the fabric back into a usable item to be recycled again. The best thing to do is to cut the fabric off the headrail and take it to a school or after-school program for craft projects or try your hand at reusing the fabric yourself at home.
Recycling Ideas in the Waterford, New London CT Areas
At Window Products, we’ve been serving families and businesses in Connecticut since 1994, with a showroom in Branford. We offer the full line of Hunter Douglas window fashions, a nice selection of screen shades, and a wide variety of awnings and shades. Our personalized service, quality products, and professional installation services ensure you’ll find the perfect window treatment or awning for your home or business.
We service all of Connecticut including, Middlebury, Oxford, Monroe, Newtown, Brookfield, Roxbury, Woodbury, Hamden, Wallingford, Greenwich, Stamford, Darien, Norwalk, Westport, Fairfield, Bridgeport, Stratford, West Haven and surrounding areas.
