Since slime is made using things that commonly found in the home, it’s essential to know how it’s handled.
Since it can easily shed, it’s essential to take steps to ensure that it stay healthy and harmless. When handling slime, you should understand where it is destined to go.
So, how do you dispose of slime safely? Slime is a gooey substance that many people like to play with.
However, slime can become really messy and many people have the misconception that it’s safe to throw it away with the rest of their garbage. However, if you throw slime away with normal trash, it could harm the environment.
Slime is made of polymers, which are plastics that break down very slowly.
If you throw slime away with other plastic trash, it can damage the ecosystem and cause dangerous chemicals to leak into the environment.
How to Dispose of Slime Safely
Contents
Use It as Much as Possible
Slime deflates and shrinks a lot over time.
So, before you throw it away, make sure that it’s done a lot of growing and has reached its full potential.
It can be a little hard to store slime because it can stick to anything.
You can store slime in a plastic bag, but use it as soon as possible before it gets stale.
A few tricks that you can use when storing slime is that it should be brought to room temperature before you use it, and you shouldn’t use your hands to pick it up because it can stick to your skin.
Layers keep peeling off while you play with it, either don’t use it anymore or throw it in the trash after it loses its stickiness completely.
As a result, the more layers that come off, the more glue is left on it.
Contact a Local Recycling Facility
Local recycling facilities in your region allow you to drop off your old slime for free.
Slime made from borax may cause respiratory issues if inhaled for a long time.
Due to this fact, you should only use your slime after it’s been properly cleaned up.
You may even want to consider investing in a slime kit that’s designed so that you can just empty the contents of it when you’re done.
Some facilities may even require you to leave packaging and other hard objects that come with the slime kits outside your car while dropping it off.
So, if you have any form of slime that you no longer want, you can contact your local recycling facility to see if they accept donations of such things.
Divide It Into Small Pieces.
Throwing away a huge lump of slime in your garage is not a good idea because you can likely make several small pieces out of it.
Making small pieces out of a large blob of slime makes it easier to store and it’s also more hygienic.
This will not only make a mess, but it’ll also trigger bacterial activity.
So, if you want to still play with it, you should divide it into tiny little pieces.
Use It Up Before Recycling It
As you can tell, slime isn’t biodegradable and it requires a lot of energy and natural resources to create it.
So, you should do your best to use your slime as much as possible before throwing it away.
If you want to reuse your left overs, you can mix it with other leftovers to create a new batch or you can simply add some water to it so that it doesn’t dry out while you’re waiting for your next play date with friends.
Donate it
If you have a lot of slime or if you’ve outgrown your hobby, you can donate it to a children’s hospital or to a daycare center in your area.
Look for youngsters in your own family that would enjoy playing with your leftover goodies as well, especially if they’re children you babysit for regularly.
You may also find an orphanage or shelter in your area that may be willing to accept your donations.
Slime may be quite messy to play with, so consider leaving it outside your home for a few hours to let some of the stickiness dry up before giving it away to the kids you love.
Is Slime Recyclable?
Yes, however it is your responsibility to dispose of it properly to ensure that it doesn’t end up in a landfill where it can release harmful chemicals into the air we breathe.
They often allow folks to drop off items like old toys and electronics in addition to their garbage in order to keep them out of the landfills where they belong.
In certain situations, you will be fined if you throw something away in a trash can that clearly states “no recyclable items” on it.
In any case, make sure you make extra sure that the places you’re donating it to are going to recycle it properly before you give it to them.
Is Slime Biodegradable?
Slime does not biodegrade naturally which means that it will persist in the environment for a significant amount of time before it breaks down completely.
This is owing to the fact that it contains polyvinyl alcohol which is derived from petroleum derivatives.
Borax, however, does biodegrade naturally.
When left to microorganisms, natural elements, and sunlight over time, borax will break down into smaller elements like boron and borate which are safe for soil and plants.
Furthermore, if you do not add colorants to your slime recipe, then it is entirely biodegradable when left outdoors.
Is Slime Harmful to the Environment?
Slime with a high amount of polyvinyl alcohol can be harmful to the environment. Because it releases harmful chemicals into the air we breathe when it decomposes.
Pay attention that you may manufacture your piece from recycled materials, but the colorant you use may contain hazardous chemicals which can release toxins into the environment when decomposing as well.
Slime is often not harmful as long as you don’t leave it sitting around for too long because even natural elements will degrade it eventually.
However, industrial slime often contains Borax, which if left around for a long time can be toxic to plants and animals.
What Not to Do When Disposing Of Slime
Fixing Your Slime
Slime may dry out and crumble over time, so here are a few tricks that you can use to fix it and make it last longer.
Instead of tossing it away, there are a couple of things you can do to fix it:• You can fix it by kneading it vigorously for a few minutes until it regains its stickiness.
Repurposing Slime
Slime does not have to go to waste. In fact, it can be quite useful when repurposing it. Here are some ideas you can use when repurposing slime: • You can turn it into paper mache.
The majority of slime jars these days come with handy dispensers which make the process super easy for you.
Up-Cycling Slime
The majority of slime jars these days come with handy dispensers which make the process super easy for you.
Take Caution With the Ingredients
If you want to manufacture slime for your little ones, you have to pay attention to the ingredients. Here are the types of ingredients you should definitely stay away from:
- Don’t use Vaseline because it could clog your dispenser.
- Don’t use Borax or Borax-based slime recipes because they can cause skin irritation and respiratory problems when inhaled over a long period of time.
- Don’t use Gum or starch because it can burn your nostrils and throat if you swallow it accidentally.
Do Not Flush Slime Down the Toilet or Drain.
If you wash slime down the drain, it can clog your plumbing system.
Don’t pour gelatin down the drain because it can cause plumbing problems, especially if your property is lacking a garbage disposal unit.
Because of the slime, several different types can be found in grocery stores everywhere today including gel, liquid, foam, bouncy and even edible varieties.
Also Read: How to Dispose of Orbeez
Conclusion
Slime is a delightful hobby that you can enjoy with your friends and family on a rainy afternoon or even by yourself if you’re feeling a bit lonely and want to have some fun by yourself.
It has the unique potential to give patients a feeling of accomplishment while they are recovering from a medical procedure and it is also great for stress reduction and relaxation.
Slime is something that everybody, young or old can enjoy making and learning how to make at home with some ingredients found in the kitchen or bathroom cabinet.
However, you must remember that you need to be careful with the type of ingredients you use when you are making homemade slime as some of them can be harmful to your health.
On the one hand, you may enjoy and watch the many amazing DIY videos that are available online and get inspired to make your own.
