How to Dispose of Knives Safely in the UK

Wrap the blade securely in thick cardboard or several layers of cloth. Then take it to one of three places: a household waste recycling centre’s metal container, a knife amnesty bin, or general household waste. Never put a knife in a kerbside recycling bin, whether the knife is wrapped or not. A loose or exposed blade can cut waste workers and jam sorting machinery.

Charity shops do not accept knives as donations. Some knives are banned weapons, such as a zombie-style knife or a flick knife. See banned knives in the UK instead of this page to surrender one. Surrender of a banned item follows a different process from ordinary disposal.

Can you put a knife in general waste or recycling?

You can put a securely wrapped knife in general household waste. You cannot put a knife in kerbside recycling, whether it is wrapped or not. Recycling is sorted by hand and by machine. This exposes workers and equipment to a blade in a way that a food waste or landfill bin does not^[5].

Wrap the blade first. Thick cardboard works well. Bubble wrap or several layers of old cloth also work. Tape it closed so the edge cannot work through the wrapping. Label the parcel to warn refuse collection staff if you are placing it in a general waste bin.

Can you take knives to a household waste recycling centre?

Yes. Councils accept kitchen knives, broken knives and old knife sets at household waste recycling centres. They ask that you wrap each blade securely and hand it to a member of staff rather than placing it loose in the metal skip yourself^[5].

Staff at the centre can direct you to the correct container once the knife is wrapped. This route suits disposing of a whole knife block or set at once. That is awkward for a household bin.

Where can you surrender a knife anonymously?

Knife amnesty bins let you surrender a knife anonymously at a fixed public location. These are usually run by the police in partnership with a council or a charity such as Word 4 Weapons. Locations and numbers of bins vary by area and change over time. Check current listings for your borough or force rather than relying on an old list.

Confirmed local schemes include Metropolitan Police bins at two south-west London sites: Wimbledon and Lavender Hill police station front counters^[3]. Another example is seven bins installed across Brent in partnership with the Raheem Sterling Foundation and Word 4 Weapons^[4]. Check your local force or council before travelling. Bin locations can change.

The Home Office has also run time-limited extended knife surrender arrangements. The most recent ran in July 2025 and covered three regions: Greater London, the West Midlands and Greater Manchester. It covered both permanent bins and staffed mobile vans. It also ran alongside a separate compensation route for ninja swords^[2]. During any surrender scheme, items must be wrapped first. They must be placed in a sealed bag or box. They must not be carried openly at any time^[2].

Can you donate old kitchen knives to a charity shop?

No. Major UK charity retailers do not accept knives as shop donations. This includes blades and other bladed items. The British Heart Foundation’s donation policy excludes “pointed items with potential for harm such as kitchen knives, blades, daggers and swords” and suggests dropping weapons off at a local police station instead^[7].

The British Red Cross similarly will not sell “knives, knife blades, razor blades and articles with a blade or sharp point that can cause injury” to under-18s^[6]. It also does not accept bladed weapons as donations at all. Examples include butcher’s knives, flick knives, swords and daggers. If you want an old but usable kitchen knife to go to someone else rather than to waste, ask the recipient directly. This falls outside what a charity shop can process at the till.

Can you sell knives for scrap metal?

You can take metal knives to a scrap metal dealer. The dealer is legally required to verify your identity before accepting the metal^[8]. The dealer must also keep a copy of that identification on file. A dealer also cannot legally pay you in cash for scrap metal under the Scrap Metal Dealers Act 2013^[8]. This includes knives.

This route mainly suits disposing of a large volume of metal knives at once. Clearing out commercial kitchen stock is one such example. For a single household knife, a recycling centre or general waste is simpler.

How do you dispose of a whole knife set or a house clearance?

Wrap each blade separately. Do not bundle several knives together in one parcel. One taped bundle can still shift and expose an edge in transit. A wooden knife block can go in general waste or a household waste recycling centre’s wood or general skip once every blade has been removed and wrapped on its own.

Treat inherited knives the same way as any other knife during a house clearance or after a bereavement. Wrap each one. Then choose general waste, a recycling centre or a knife amnesty bin. A specialist house clearance company handling the wider job can usually dispose of kitchen knives as part of its normal waste stream. Confirm this with the company first rather than assuming it.

What should you never do when disposing of a knife?

For safety, keep the knife wrapped and out of sight on the way to disposal. Never post a knife without checking the courier’s current rules on bladed items first. Taking a knife directly to a disposal point or amnesty bin is the kind of reason courts consider, but whether it is a good reason depends on all the circumstances. Wrapping makes handling safer; it does not decide whether carrying is lawful. Follow the scheme’s transport instructions where applicable ^[2].

Never put a knife in a kerbside recycling bin, whether it is wrapped or not. Never leave a knife loose in a bin bag where it can cut through the bag or injure whoever handles it next^[5]. Never attempt to donate a knife to a charity shop. None of the major UK retailers can accept it^[7].

The item may be a banned weapon rather than an ordinary kitchen or pocket knife. Examples include a zombie-style knife, a flick knife and a butterfly knife. If so, follow the surrender guidance in banned knives in the UK instead of general disposal. Owning or transporting a banned item outside a surrender scheme carries its own legal risk^[1].

This is general safety and disposal guidance. It is not legal advice. For a specific situation involving a banned or surrendered weapon, contact your local police force non-emergency line on 101. A solicitor can also advise.