Can you recycle hand tools?
💚 Reuse or donate
Donate usable tools (tool libraries, Men's Sheds, charities); broken metal tools are scrap.
Tool libraries, Men's Sheds and charities like Workaid refurbish donated hand tools for training projects worldwide. Broken all-metal tools go in scrap; wooden-handled ones too (handles burn off in reprocessing).
Tips
- Search 'tool library' or 'Men's Shed' near you
Which bin does it go in?
Donate usable tools (tool libraries, Men's Sheds, charities); broken metal tools are scrap.
Before throwing it away, see reuse, repair and donation routes.
Background: The decluttering disposal checklist.
Also searched as: hammers, spanners, saws, screwdrivers.
✓ Checked against current UK guidance: 14 Jul 2026. Spot an error or an out-of-date rule?