Medical & Pharmaceuticals recycling
How to Recycle Prosthetics and Medical Implants
External prosthetic limbs and internal medical implants such as joint replacements, pacemakers, and dental implants. There's no single dedicated federal disposal rule for this category; the guidance here reflects general medical-waste and metal-recovery practice.
Check local acceptanceVaries widely; donation value for a working prosthetic is typically far higher than any scrap-metal value from an implantLast reviewed July 30, 2026
Quick answer
A working external prosthetic limb is worth donating to a prosthetics charity or clinic rather than scrapping; ask before assuming a specific organization takes them, since programs and their requirements change. Internal implants removed during surgery, like joint replacements or pacemakers, aren't reused in another person, but the metal can sometimes be recovered by the facility once it's been decontaminated.
- Recycling route
- Check locally
- Typical value
- Varies widely; donation value for a working prosthetic is typically far higher than any scrap-metal value from an implant
How to Prepare
- 1Clean external prosthetics thoroughly before donating
- 2Contact a prosthetics clinic, limb-donation charity, or your prosthetist directly to ask what they currently accept, since programs change