10/18/2024
Sooner or later, all locks wear out and need to be replaced. Some customers decide to keep the old lock, but most of the time, they'll give it to us (sometimes in exchange for a discount). What happens after that depends on the lock:
Antique and vintage locks get put on mounts, where they're used for display, training, and troubleshooting. Modern electronic locks will sometimes end up in the classes we teach. Modern mechanical locks (in good condition) are sometimes offered as low-cost options for customers on a budget.
When a modern lock is so worn, broken, and unreliable that it can't even be used for parts, we don't throw it in the trash. We recycle it instead! These old parts are carefully sorted, melted, and cast into ingots. I don't know what form they'll take next, but at least they aren't taking up space in some landfill!
