Ditching DIY: What to Do with Your Extra Lawn Care Equipment

After years of sweating through your Saturdays, you’ve finally made the call: you're done with DIY lawn care. Congratulations! Whether you've hired a professional service like TruGreen (good choice), downsized to a maintenance-free yard, or just want more free time on the weekends, you now face a new dilemma –– what to do with all that leftover lawn care equipment?

From half-used bags of fertilizer to that push spreader taking up space in your storage shed, there’s a surprisingly long list of lawn care items that you can accumulate over the years. Rather than letting them collect dust in your garage or end up in a landfill, here’s how you can responsibly –– and even creatively or profitably –– part with or repurpose your extra lawn care gear. We’ve even got a tutorial for you on how to turn that old spreader into the perfect beverage cooler! 

Before you decide what to do with your lawn care equipment, take stock of everything you have. Make a list and sort it into categories:  

• Manual tools, small and large: Application tools such as hand spreaders or broadcast spreaders, larger equipment such as aerators, and handheld tools such as shovels, rakes and weed pullers.
• Fertilizers and other products: Liquid and granular products such as fertilizer, grass seed, weed killers, soil amendments, etc.
• Gas/electric-powered tools: If you’ve hired a landscaping company to mow and maintain your yard, this could include things like your old mowers, trimmers, blowers and edgers.  
• Other accessories: Wheelbarrows, buckets, gloves. If you’ve installed an irrigation system, this could even include hoses and sprinklers.  

Once you have an inventory, it’s easier to decide what can be sold, donated, repurposed, or safely disposed of.  

If your equipment still works but you’re not interested in selling it, consider donating it.  

Local community gardens, high school or college horticulture programs, and churches or nonprofits may welcome your used tools. You could also take them to a Habitat for Humanity ReStore location or a Goodwill donation center.  

Call ahead to check donation requirements, especially for gas-powered tools, which some places won’t accept due to fuel regulations.

Old lawn care products pose an environmental risk if tossed in the trash or dumped. Most lawn care products include specific disposal instructions on the label––make sure to check the label and follow these instructions.

Before you discard any liquid and granular lawn care products, check the expiration dates. If possible, your best option is to use up the remaining product as intended, following the label instructions. If you can’t use it, see if a friend or neighbor can. If expired, do not use them on plants. Most fertilizers and pesticides degrade over time.  

For any bottles with leftover product inside, visit your city or county website for household hazardous waste collection programs.

Precautions to Keep in Mind

• Never pour these materials down the drain, toilet or into the storm sewer.  
• Don’t dump excess products on the ground or in your yard.  
• Don’t throw them in the regular trash unless specifically permitted.  
• Never mix different products or substances together, even when disposing of them.  
• Label everything clearly. If you can, always keep products in their original containers with the labels intact. 

The Triple Rinse Method

When rinsing out empty bottles, follow these steps to do so safely and responsibly:

1. Empty the container: If you can use the remaining product, pour all the contents into your application equipment (such as a spreader or sprayer). Be sure to let the bottle completely drain out for at least 30 seconds.  
2. Fill with water: Fill ¼ of the container with water, replace the cap, shake or rotate the container to rinse all inside surfaces.  
3. Empty the rinse water: Pour the rinse water into your application device. This ensures no waste and safe disposal. 
4. Repeat two more times: Triple-rinsing ensures the container is thoroughly cleaned.  

Always rinse at the application site or a dedicated outdoor mixing area––never at a household sink, storm drain, or near gardens or water sources such as wells, streams, or ponds.  

You might be surprised how much of your lawn care gear is recyclable. You may also be able to dissemble larger items into smaller, recyclable components.

Here are some items you could recycle:  

• Paper yard bags or grass seed bags (if clean) can go in the paper recycling.  
• Metal tools like rakes and shears can go to a metal recycling facility––just make sure to remove any rubber grips and/or plastic or wooden handles first.  
• Empty, clean plastic containers may be recyclable––look for the recycling number on the bottom (usually #2 HDPE or #5 PP). Call ahead to make sure your regular recycling program will accept these. If not, you can check the Ag Container Recycling Council (ACRC) website to find an agricultural container recycling program near you. 

Convert Your Spreader Into a Cooler
 
When doing your own lawn care, a push spreader can help you achieve uniform coverage of fertilizers, grass seed, herbicides, granular pesticides and more –– but did you know it can also make a great cooler for your next event? We love this idea so much that TruGreen created the first of its kind, and now we’re sharing how to make one yourself. Keep reading to see steps on how to build this yourself, and download a PDF if you want to print them off and share with friends.

Here’s what you’ll need: Heavy duty glue, painters' tape, rubber sealant spray, 1” x 1/2” PVC bushing, 1/2" PVC threaded plug, #8 32x1 round combo machine screws with washers and nuts, 1” x 2’ x 2’ foam board, 2’ x 2’ wood board, a cabinet handle, and a continuous hinge. 

Here’s what you’ll do:  

1. Prep your spreader: Thoroughly clean your spreader with soap and water (review Section 4 on how to clean your lawn care equipment responsibly).
2. Add a drain: Pry off the spinner inside your spreader. Cut off the top of the hexagon shaft (do not remove the whole thing). Use a 1” drill bit to create a drainage hole. Glue 1” x 1/2" PVC bushing onto the base.
3. Create a rubber seal: Use painters’ tape to cover the edges of your spreader and the drainage hole. Spray on rubber sealant. Remove painters’ tape before it dries.  
4. Make your lid: Turn the spreader upside down, place it on a wood board and trace an outline for the lid. Use a jig or hack saw to cut along the outline. Sand once you’re happy with the fit.  
5. Add a hinge: The hinge will vary based on your spreader model. Use a wooden spacer if needed and attach by drilling through the wood and plastic. Use #8 32x1 machine screws and bolts to attach the spacer to the spreader. Align the continuous hinge on top and screw it on.  
6. Prep the insulation: Place your lid on the foam board and trace around it, then cut .5” to 1” inside of your outline so the foam fits snuggly into the spreader bin. Trim as needed.
7. Attach the handle, lid and the insulation: Center your handle on the wooden lid, mark it, drill holes and then attach. Align the lid to the base, mark your hinge holes and screw on the lid. Then align the foam to the lid and the base of the spreader, mark its position and add heavy duty glue to attach it to the wood.

8. Add the finishing touches: Remove the lid from the base and the handle from the lid so you can stain or paint the wood as desired. Let dry, then reattach.

    

Once you ditch doing your own lawn care, you get your weekends back. Perhaps nothing celebrates that more than hosting a backyard barbeque or gathering, and our spreader-turned-beverage-cooler will make a great conversation piece with your friends and neighbors.

Maybe someone just starting out would love your gear. Post in local Facebook groups or Nextdoor with a message like: “Giving up DIY lawn care—free tools, fertilizer, and garden odds and ends. Come and grab what you need!” This method is quick, neighborly, and keeps items out of landfills.  
 
Or host a community tool swap. Invite neighbors to bring their unused tools and supplies for a local swap event. It's a fun way to meet people, get rid of gear you don’t need, and possibly snag some other useful household items or gardening tools. Add refreshments (in your spreader cooler!) and turn it into a social event.

Letting go of lawn care DIY doesn’t just free up your weekends—it also reduces clutter and gives you the chance to reassess how your outdoor space supports your lifestyle.  

If you're done with DIY and ready for professional lawn care services, contact TruGreen today. From weed control to fertilization to lawn disease prevention, our customized lawn care plans allow you to enjoy a thriving lawn without the hassle––or the equipment.