How to Dispose of Chicken Wire?

Chicken wire, also known as poultry netting, is a metal wire mesh often used for fences, cages, and enclosures for poultry. It is made of thin, flexible galvanized steel wire that is woven into a mesh pattern with hexagonal or square-shaped openings.

While extremely useful, disposing of chicken wire can be a challenge once it has served its purpose or becomes damaged. If not disposed of properly, the sharp wire edges can harm people as well as wildlife and the environment.

Fortunately, there are several safe and responsible ways to dispose of chicken wire.

Methods for Disposing Chicken Wire

Take it to a Metal Recycling Center

One of the best and most environmentally options is to take chicken wire a metal recycling center. The steel wire can be recycled and made into new materials. Contact your local municipal government to find the closest metal recycling facility.

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Place Chicken Wire in the Trash

Some municipal waste collection services allow chicken wire to be disposed of with normal trash pickup with certain restrictions. Check with your local waste authority first to understand size limitations, bundling requirements or any other specifications needed for collecting chicken wire curbside.

Donate Usable Chicken Wire

If your chicken wire still has plenty of life left, consider donating it to community groups like schools, churches, farms, animal shelters, or maker spaces that may be able to reuse it for projects. You can donate through materials exchange programs or by posting it on community boards.

Sell Usable Chicken Wire

Post the chicken wire for sale on classified ads websites if it is still in good, usable condition. Poultry owners often search for quality secondhand chicken wire that they can purchase for a discounted price to save money.

Cut it up and Put in Regular Trash

If none of the above reuse or recycling options are available in your area, the chicken wire will need to go in the regular trash. First, prepare the chicken wire for safe disposal by firmly rolling or flattening any loose pieces to make transport easier.

Then, use sturdy tin snips to cut up the chicken wire into pieces that will fit inside trash bags without tearing them. Sharp wire ends should be folded inward to minimize harm and risk.

Preparing the Chicken Wire for Disposal

To prepare chicken wire for any disposal method, it helps to tidy it up first by:

Rolling Up Any Loose Pieces of Wire

Gather up any loose or unrolled pieces of chicken wire and roll them up tightly into a cylindrical bundle. This makes them easier to transport and less likely to get snagged on anything.

Flattening Wire Rolls

For rolls of chicken wire, press down firmly to flatten them into pancake shaped bundles. Apply body weight or heavy objects to compress them down to a few inches tall.

Cutting into Pieces

Use sturdy tin snips to cut down larger rolls or panels of chicken wire if needed to fit them into transport vehicles or trash receptacles based on size and weight restrictions. Wear thick work gloves and long sleeves when cutting to avoid injuries.

Tips for Safe Handling

Since chicken wire has many sharp wire edges and ends, caution should be used when loading, transporting, and handling it:

Wear Thick Gloves and Long Sleeves

Protect hands and arms by wearing durable work gloves and long sleeve shirts when managing chicken wire. Consider safety glasses as well.

Use Tin Snips to Cut Wire

Use sturdy tin snips when cutting chicken wire instead of tools like saws that can catch on and fling apart the springy metal wire mesh.

Fold In All Sharp Ends

Before transport, do a final check that all cut wire ends are bent inward or folded over to reduce harm and holes to trash bags.

Environmental Impact

Properly disposing of chicken wire keeps it from harming the environment:

Recycling Reduces Landfill Contributions

Taking chicken wire to metal recycling centers reduces waste sent to landfills. The steel wire can be recycled to manufacture useful metal products again and again.

Responsible Disposal Protects Wildlife

Disposing of chicken wire carefully by containing it in trash bags and bending in sharp wire ends protects outdoor animals from getting injured on torn open trash with exposed chicken wire.

Conclusion

The responsibility of properly disposing of chicken wire relies on the owner to handle it safely and keep it from doing harm even during disposal. The best method is recycling at a metal recycling center since the steel wire can be continually reused.

Other acceptable disposal options include regulated trash pickup or cutting it up to put in normal trash bags if recycling is not possible in your area. Prepare chicken wire before transporting by firmly rolling or flattening it and address all sharp edges by folding them in or padding them.

Handle chicken wire carefully with heavy gloves and long clothing at all times during disposal process. Dispose of chicken wire in the most eco-friendly way possible based on your local options and regulations.

FAQs:

Where can I find metal recycling centers near me?
Contact your local waste management authority or conduct an online search for “metal recycling near me” to find the closest participating metal recycling center that accepts chicken wire.

How much does it cost to dispose of chicken wire?
Most metal recycling centers accept scrap metal like chicken wire for free or very low cost. Trash collection services may have small fees for oversize items like chicken wire if allowed.

Can I put chicken wire in my residential trash bins?
Check with your local waste collection provider. Some will allow chicken wire and scrap metal disposal with residential curbside trash pickup given it meets size requirements and ends are folded in.

What precautions should I take when transporting chicken wire?
Transport chicken wire in a fully enclosed vehicle or trailer to prevent loose pieces from blowing out. Wear leather gloves when securing it down tightly with rope or straps. Pad sharp edges that could puncture surface below. Drive slowly over bumps.

What are some ways to reduce my use of chicken wire?
Consider alternative fencing options like woven wire fences, electric poultry netting, metal panels, or plastic poultry fencing that may be easier to dispose of responsibly when no longer needed. Some can be recycled or even composted. Reuse chicken wire as much as possible before final disposal.