Some common household items never decompose, and some take hundreds of years. At Junk-a-Haulics, we take junk removal seriously recycling as much as possible, and donation to neighborhood charities as much as we can.
Below is a list of common household items that take the longest to decompose.
- Styrofoam
Not biodegradable - Glass bottles
1,000,000 years - Fishing line
600 years - Hairspray bottle
200-500 years - Disposable diapers and sanitary napkins
450 years - Plastic bags
500-1000 years - Plastic bottles
70-450 years - Aluminium cans
80-200 years - Batteries
100 years - Rubber soled shoes
50-80 years - Leather soled shoes
25-40 years - Clothing
up to 40 years - Plastic wrappings
20-30 years - Foam Cups
50 years - Nylon Fabric
30-40 years - Milk Cartons
5 years - Thread
3-4 months - Cotton
1-5 months - Rope
3-14 months - Cigarette
1-12 years - Paper Waste
2-6 weeks
Looking to get more organized with your cleanup, check out the clean out checklist.