Over the last few years, having pools in our gardens has become hugely popular with both kids and adults alike. Which has also meant that summer pool inflatables – particularly large dinosaurs or unicorns – have become popular too. The only problem is, when these plastic inflatables are no longer wanted, what happens to them?
What are Pool Inflatables?
First off, before we look at how to recycle these pool inflatables, what exactly are they? Well, like the name suggest, these are plastic inflatables that tend to be used in pools. These can range from very big inflatables that can be sat on, down to inflatables used for sports such as balls or clubs.
There tends to be new inflatable design and shapes that come out every summer, which becomes popular on the likes of Instagram. This leads to people rushing to buy what’s popular and old inflatables becoming binned.
What are Pool Inflatables Made of and Can They Be Recycled?
When it comes to the cheap pool inflatables that we often see in the likes of Aldi and Argos, these toys ten to be made from nylon or vinyl, they will then be coated in a PVC material that makes them very durable.
Because of this PVC coating, though, it makes it very hard to recycle these inflatables. Which is why broken or unwanted pool toys end up going into our general bins, which are destined for a landfill. Which isn’t great when we’re trying to recycle as much as we can.
What Can You Do With Old or Unwanted Pool Inflatables?
Well, before you stop buying pool inflatables altogether, here at KwikSweep we have some great ideas for how you can keep your inflatables away from landfills:
Repair It
More often than not, when we’re looking to get rid of a pool inflatable it’s because it’s damaged and we believe it be unusable. Which can be quite common when they’re used by kids – and adults too! Before you get rid of your pool inflatable, though, it’s actually very easy to repair these inflatables.
First of all, you need to find where the hole or rip is. This is quite easy to do, just fill the inflatable up with water and see where water or bubbles are escaping. Once you’ve located the hole add a sticker, then you can empty the water out and dry out the inflatable before you look to fix it.
When you’re ready to start your repair, inflate it with air and cover the hole with some duct tape to keep the air in. You can then take a piece of PVC or more tape and cover it with some waterproof glue and place over the top of the hole and held until dry. Just remember to check it thoroughly before giving it back to the kids.
Give it Away
If pool inflatable isn’t broken, but it is no longer wanted. Rather than throwing it away, consider giving it away to someone you know or even donating it to charity. That way, rather than simply throwing it away, someone else will be able to get use out of it.
Upcycle It
While pool inflatables are hard to recycle, they may still be of use to others that could use the material in an upcycle project. For this, you will have to research locally to see if anyone wants to work with old PVC, which can seem like hard work, however, it’s more than worth it to keep it out of landfills.
If you’re worried about any of your rubbish going to landfills and you’d like to make sure as much as possible is recycled, contact us here at KwikSweep. As, regardless of it being commercial or home clearances, we make sure as much is kept away from landfills as possible.
