If you have been a woodworker for a substantial amount of time, you may find yourself stuck with a few old circular saw blades from your table or miter saw. While these blades are certainly durable, there will come a point where they are worn down.
So, can you recycle saw blades?
You will be happy to know that the answer is (in most cases) yes! Typical steel blades can usually be recycled along with other metal recyclables such as cans. Many cities will take them in the blue bin with your regular trash and recycling pickup.
If you have old saw blades rusting away in your workshop, you may want to find a way to recycle, reuse, or repurpose them!
Recycling Old Circular Saw Blades
If you live in a city or town that allows you to put the saw blades in the blue bin, then you are all set!
However, if you live in a place where the city recycling program does not allow for scrap metal, you will need another option.
Your nearest recycling center may be a good place for off-loading your blades. Most will have a bin for metal recyclables onsite.
Steel is usually a valuable metal because it is easy to recycle which is why the recycling center is happy to take it off of your hands.
However, it is not a good idea to just chuck your saw blades in the bin without checking with the staff.
Even if your old circular saw blade has dulled with use, it is probably still sharp enough to cut someone. Depending on how the recyclables are handled, a blade thrown in the bin could cause an employee a serious injury.
The recycling center may have a special handling procedure for dangerous items such as this.
Another option for recycling your miter and circular saw discs is to take them straight to a scrap metal dealer.
As we mentioned above, steel can often be quite valuable. You may find that the scrap metal dealer is willing to offer you a few bucks for your old blades.
As with the recycling center, you will need to check with the staff for any special handling rules before attempting to drop them off.
Reusing Old Circular Saw Blades
Recycling your blades is not the only option available to you, however. A dull blade destined for the trash pile may get some more life with a little sharpening.
Hardware stores sell tools that allow you to sharpen your blades at home which is definitely a cheaper option than continuously purchasing new ones.
If you do not feel comfortable doing the sharpening yourself, you can check around your town for a professional to take on the task for you.
Big chain stores may not offer sharpening services, but there is usually a local hardware store around that will offer this service. You can even check places like your nearest farmer’s market as there are sometimes booths offering services like this.
Repurposing Old Circular Saw Blades
If you are willing to think outside the box, you may be able to give your saw blade a new life by repurposing it.
A quick look around a site like Etsy or Pinterest will open you up to a whole world of possibilities.
People turn saw blades into garden art pieces, light fixtures, clocks, and countless other crafts.
Some people have even turned very large blades into side tables or sign’s for their shops!
If you are a person that likes to do arts and crafts, you can certainly find at least one design you will enjoy.
Obviously, if you do repurpose your blade into a craft, you will want to make sure that it is very dull and won’t injure anyone who handles it.
There are also artists that paint scenes on saw blades. Painted Saw Blades is a family-owned business from Wisconsin that has been selling painted saw blades for nearly 30 years.
They are willing to do custom orders on blades that you send to them yourself. With a quick internet search, you may be able to find artisans local to you that do this type of work as well.
Another cool option is turning your old circular saw blades into a knife.
There may be craftspeople in your area that are willing to take (or buy) your old saw blades for knife-making. Another option is for you to turn the blade into a knife yourself.
There are plenty of tutorials online that show you the process.
Here’s just one of them:
