Laminate flooring can be discarded or upcycled but should never be burned
Whether you're transforming that fixer-upper into your dream home or renovating just one room, chances are that you had the floors redone. Now you’re stuck with a pile of ripped-up flooring, unsure of what to do with it. Or, maybe you bought too much of the new flooring and have planks left over.
When it comes to getting rid of laminate flooring, things get a little tricky due to the materials. Here's how to dispose of laminate flooring safely, regardless of whether it’s old or new.
Laminate flooring is a composite type of flooring made of multiple layers, and it has come a long way since its disco-era origins. Initially written off as a cheap-looking alternative to hardwood flooring, today there are many different types of laminate flooring. Laminate that mimics natural wood remains the most popular choice, but many now feature bold colors and beautiful patterns. Even upscale homes are now built with laminate floors or use them in renovations.
Laminate flooring consists of a core layer made of plywood or particle board wood that sits at the bottom, an image layer placed on top of it, and a protective wear layer that seals it.
About 80% of laminate flooring is wood, but the wear layer is coated with formaldehyde or aluminum oxide, both of which are toxic. This means that you should never use laminate floorboards as kindling or try to dispose of them by burning them. Older laminate floors can also contain asbestos. Asbestos is a known carcinogen, as well.
These chemicals in the laminate adhesive are hazardous to your health and the environment once they become airborne via burning. The EPA notes that long-term exposure to formaldehyde in gas form has been associated with cancer, respiratory illnesses, skin conditions, and other adverse health effects.
Due to these concerns, getting rid of laminate floor boards is much more difficult than disposing of tile and other non-hazardous building materials.
It’s a good idea to keep a plank or two on hand in case the manufacturer discontinues your flooring type after one of your tiles gets damaged. But if you simply have way too much that you know you’ll never use, there are a few ways to dispose of laminate flooring safely and easily.
It may not be your ideal option, as you’ll be contributing to landfill waste, but sometimes curbside collection is the easiest solution. While laminate flooring contains some toxic materials, you can put intact pieces out on the curb with your normal trash pick-up in most places. If you’re unsure whether or not you can do this, check with your local waste management authority first.
We do recommend avoiding this option since recycling is a more sustainable option.
This more eco-friendly option depends on your local laws and the condition of the laminate flooring. Contact your local recycling center to see if they accept laminate flooring. Not all recycling centers have the proper equipment to recycle laminate. If they do, you will need to bring it yourself, but you can be assured that the materials will be handled safely once you drop them off.
If you have several pieces of used laminate flooring that are still in good shape or you have new and unused boxes of it, you might be able to sell it to recuperate some of the cost. Try online marketplaces or local flea markets—there are plenty of crafty DIYers who may want to use them.
Didn’t get any takers when you tried to sell your unwanted laminate flooring? Home improvement-specific charities like Habitat for Humanity Re-Store will often accept unused flooring tiles and planks if other local charities do not.
If your local community has a “buy nothing” group, usually found on social media or community groups, you might find some takers there, as well.
If your laminate flooring has been getting trampled in your kitchen since the 70s, it’s probably too old to sell, donate, or recycle. In this case, junk removal might be the way to go. Depending on how much you’ve got to dispose of, renting a dumpster might be a good idea, especially if you have lots of other debris from your renovation.
If it’s just excess laminate flooring that you want to get rid of, and you don’t have time to take it to a waste disposal site, hiring a junk removal service near you could be worth it. A professional will come to your home, collect and load the excess laminate flooring, and haul it to a disposal site for you. We recommend finding one that will guarantee your flooring goes to a recycling center rather than a landfill if there’s one in your area.
Think about how much junk you need to remove and the amount of manual labor you want to put in yourself while you compare the cost to rent a dumpster and the cost of a junk removal service. You’ll have to do more work with a dumpster, but you’ll have it for about a week, so you can work at your own pace.
Many laminate flooring manufacturers can recycle laminate flooring since the contents are mostly wood. They’ll just need specialized equipment to strip off the layer of toxic chemicals prior to disposal. If your local recycling center won't accept it, check with the manufacturer and see if they have an end-of life (EoL) recycling program. Some even come to your home to pick up leftover laminate free of charge, while others have a designated drop-off.
When shopping for laminate flooring, consider more than just the pattern and price. It might be worth paying a little more if the manufacturer has a convenient recycling program to save yourself money on dumping fees down the road.
You can’t burn laminate flooring as you would wood since it has a toxic coating, but it can be used a lot like wood to be repurposed into useful and decorative items.
A new tabletop, a shoe rack, funky statuettes, coasters, and shelving units—you can craft all of these and more from leftover laminate flooring tiles with the right tools and creative ingenuity.
Disposing of laminate flooring properly can take some time and effort, but there are a few tips that can make your life a little easier:
Leave the work to a professional to save time. If you’re short on time or don’t have a vehicle that will fit all of your laminate flooring waste, hire a junk removal company to do the heavy lifting for you. Try to find one that will recycle the flooring as sustainably as possible.
Do your own hauling to save money. If you have a truck that will fit all of your flooring waste, you can save some money on the disposal by loading it and hauling it to a recycling center yourself. You can also rent a truck from your local home improvement store, which will likely still save you money over hiring a pro.
Recycle whenever possible. Regardless of how you get your flooring out of your home, do your best to recycle it. If you rent a dumpster or hire a professional junk hauler, ask the company to make sure it goes to a recycling facility rather than a landfill. If you’re doing the work yourself, find out where the nearest recycling facility is first.
Don’t get rid of all of it. If you’re getting rid of extra laminate flooring after a renovation project, keep a box or two instead of disposing of all of it. Having some extra planks on hand is great for a quick and easy replacement if one of your installed planks gets damaged in the future.
Disposing of laminate flooring is a relatively easy DIY job that most homeowners will be able to tackle, especially since the flooring is relatively lightweight. You’ll likely save between $100 and $300 by doing the work yourself.
However, hiring a professional will save you time and energy, and it’s a great solution if you have a lot of flooring to get rid of. They’ll have trucks that can fit all of your flooring and other debris, which is especially helpful following home renovations.
This depends on where you live, but in most cases, it goes in the trash rather than your household recycling since it contains toxic chemicals that standard recycling centers cannot dispose of safely. Some designated recycling centers will take it if they have the necessary equipment to break it down. The manufacturer may offer a recycling program with a designated drop-off site as well.
Old flooring can be repurposed into dozens of useful or aesthetic items around your home. Tabletops, picture frames, shelving, coasters, wall art—if you can do it with wood, you can likely give new life to old laminate flooring in the same fashion. If you’re artistically inclined, it’s a great surface for decoupage and practicing acrylic pour art.
Laminate flooring installation costs vary depending on the complexity and size of the project. The average cost to install laminate flooring is $2,900 for labor and materials, but you could pay over $4,500 for large, high-end laminate flooring or as little as $1,000 for a smaller project. DIYing the job will save you a bundle on labor as well, if you’re up for it.
