Photographic film, known as negative, cannot be recycled
Present silver crystals prevent recycling
Out of fashion due to technological innovations, negatives, also called photographic films, ended up having a captive but not very luxurious place in the house: the little mess room.
Used in old analog machines, photographic film had the primary function of capturing the images that would later be revealed. It has a plastic base, usually formed by a substance called cellulose triacetate, which is flexible and transparent, in which there is a photographic emulsion, composed of gelatin and silver salt crystals.
Crystals are exactly the main elements that prevent the recycling of photographic film. However, it is possible to try to find a destination other than common garbage when disposing of your old negatives.
options
If your negatives contain important images, you can donate them to museums or sell them on shopping websites. Upcycle can also be a possibility if you are creative and want to make a painting, mural or decorate another part of your home with these objects. If none of these options have worked, contact your city hall to find out what is the solution for non-recyclable items in your region.
Flammable
If you have a lot of very old negatives stored together, pay attention, they can be flammable if they are composed of nitrocellulose, a substance that has been gradually replaced for safety reasons.
