AA San Tan Valley Locksmith: What to Do With Old Keys

What do I do with my old keys? This question is on many people’s lips not only in San Tan Valley, Arizona, but in the entire United States. Of course, you can just throw them at the bin and forget about them. However, here at AA San Tan Valley Locksmith, we wouldn’t do that if we were you. Why? Let’s put it this way: would you place the key to your house in front of your door and leave for work? You wouldn’t, because somebody may use it to get into your house and steal your property or threaten your loved ones.

Never Throw Your Keys Into the Trash Bin

This is exactly the same thing that can happen if you throw your key into the bin. Perhaps you’ve heard of the term “dumpster diver.” These people make a living out of searching through your garbage for valuable objects or information. And what can be more valuable than the keys to your home or car? If you live in a house, it’s simple to figure out which door the keys open. And even if you live in an apartment building, a burglar can try the keys on all the doors until yours opens.

So it’s never a good idea to throw the keys away, unless you throw them away with the lock. By replacing the lock, you make sure nobody can use the old keys to open the door to your car or your home. However, even then, you invite somebody to try the keys on your locks; and bad things can happen. Also, metal is recyclable; wouldn’t it be better for you and the environment to dump the keys at your local recycling center? All you have to do is remove any rubber edges and then throw them into the mixed metals bin at the center – it’s as simple and safe as that. You also protect the environment by doing this. Did you know that around 400 million keys are added to landfills each year? All this while mining companies struggle to extract iron and cause damage to the environment while doing so. Recycling is the responsible thing to do!

There are also a lot of other, much more creative, ways of using your old keys. Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting ideas.

Creative Ideas for Your Old Keys

The first idea is also related to recycling – but with a twist. There are organizations that collect keys via mail and then melt them and sell the raw material. Funds collected by most of these companies are donated to charity. So, not only do you have the change to get rid of the old keys, you also help other people in need by doing so. Examples of such companies – which are also online – would be Key for Hope and Keys for Kindness. Simply mail them the key and forget about it.
Another thing you can do is sell the old keys to artists on Etsy. There are many people who craft things out of – you’ve guessed it – keys. They’ll be more than happy to purchase them from you at a fair price. Don’t worry, they don’t need to know where you live; they don’t even need your name.
Do you have some older keys in your inventory? These keys often have interesting and unique shapes and sizes. You can use them to create a work of art yourself and sell it on eBay or Etsy. If you don’t have the time or skills necessary, you can, again, sell these interesting old keys on the aforementioned websites. You’ll also get a far better price for them. The more unique the key, the more expensive it gets.
Keys and jewelry go hand in hand nowadays. And you don’t have to be a master artisan to use them. The simplest and most effective way to use a key on a piece of jewelry is to take a basic chain and attach the key to it. Again, keys that have interesting shapes usually produce more attractive pieces of jewelry.

Nobody is saying that you MUST recycle or sell your old keys. As long as you find a use for them, you can keep them. For example, small keys can be successfully used as zipper pulls. Some people use them as attachments to pull chains (for lights or fans, for example). Due to the fact that keys are made out of metal and are inherently heavy, you can sew them on the inside hem of various pieces of material to make them heavier – tablecloths and curtains immediately come to mind.

Some Final Thoughts

After – hopefully – reading this entire blog post, you’ve realized that those old keys are not so useless after all. And you also know that they can be very dangerous if disposed of improperly. The guys at AA San Tan Valley Locksmith can’t stress this enough: never throw your old keys into the dumpster outside your home. Any dumpster diver can find them, wait for you to leave your home, and then proceed to steal your property and even harm your family. The only time when it’s relatively safe to throw keys like this is when you’ve already changed the locks; and even then people will be tempted to try the keys on your doors.

There are many things you can do with your old keys it seems. If you’re the creative type, you can use them to craft some very interesting things. You can then use your creations to decorate your home or sell on eBay or Etsy to people who will use them to decorate their homes. By using them in creative projects, you old, useless keys get a new life. They become useful again. If you’re not the creative type, you can sell them as craft supplies on various websites and still make a buck. These ideas apply not only to San Tan Valley, Arizona, but to the entire country. You can find a use for old keys no matter where you live.