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I recently remodeled my bathrooms and removed the old flat glass mirrors that were hung on the walls. I kept them thinking that I could cut and frame them, but I wound up just purchasing new ones.

These mirrors are large (the largest being 4'x3' and I'm not sure how to dispose of them.

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    call a company that installs mirror like that, they either take them of your hands or be able to tell you how to dispose of them properly (the mirror material might contain heavy metals)
    – ratchet freak
    Mar 13, 2012 at 8:37
  • Good call on the heavy metals. I hadn't thought about that. What sort of company would normally handle mirror installs? Perhaps a handyman service or something?
    – Mike G
    Mar 13, 2012 at 8:43
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    normal glass installing companies might also install mirrors
    – ratchet freak
    Mar 13, 2012 at 9:00
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    Mirrors can be recycled just like glass. We often take down large mirrors, and bring them to the recycle dump.
    – shirlock homes
    Mar 13, 2012 at 9:27
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    I'd look around for a Re-Store in your area. They deal in salvaged building materials, and my be able to either pay you for it or you could make a tax deductible donation. Here is a list by state of Habitat for Humanity ReStores.
    – Tester101
    Mar 13, 2012 at 11:52

2 Answers 2

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Mirrors are made up of two parts, the glass and then a reflective coating on the back. Because of this, they are not considered 100% glass and many times the town's recycle pickup (if your have one) for glass will not take them because there will be an additional process to separate the glass from the reflective material backing.

Possible disposal methods:

  • Throw it out. We have a recycling/trash center in our town and for a fee you can dispose of bulk items that the trash guys will not pick up. A mirror of that size would be considered a bulk item.
  • Recycle. Check your local recycling center, some of them will recycle mirrors at no cost.
  • Repurpose. The mirror could be reused by someone else as is if it is good shape. Some advertisement may be necessary in local media, or you can use free advertising as indicated below in the comments by @Steve.
  • Donate. A mirror or especially a broken mirror can be reused for many arts and crafts type projects like a mosiac. Check with schools/university or with any local artisans, they might take it off your hands.

Finally, in thier spare time one could create a funkadelic disco ball from the mirror and then sell it on eBay for a small profit.

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    On repurposing, I use freecycle for stuff like this all the time. You could also post in the free section of craigslist.
    – Steve Jackson
    Mar 14, 2012 at 15:55
  • Thanks! I've updated the answer to include a reference to your comment.
    – Jon Raynor
    Mar 14, 2012 at 16:03
  • @SteveJackson From anecdotal evidence, it's always better to list things for really cheap on Craigslist instead of free if you really want to get rid of it. I think it's the psychology of "What a deal, it's so cheap!" vs "What's wrong with it, why is it free?"
    – Doresoom
    Sep 5, 2012 at 13:18
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As far as getting someone one to pick it up and dispose of a large frame-less mirror properly, I found out (at least) in Houston, TX that Purple Heart, Salvation Army, Goodwill, and Habitat for Humanity (Restore) do not pick up frame-less mirrors of any size.

There was a local glass shop that was willing to pick it up, but they charged a fee.

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    This answer would be more useful to people that are not in Houston if you described how you found them: internet search, yellow pages, ... That way, people could use the same method to find haulers for their own locality.
    – Niall C. ♦
    Sep 4, 2012 at 20:02
  • According to their web sites and phone conversations I have had with personnel associated with the organization, Habitat for Humanity will not accept frameless mirrors
    – user27086
    Oct 17, 2014 at 18:31

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