If you don't want to burn your old flag, you can deposit it here and American Legion Post 180
will take care of it for you.
I don't know about other countries, but I know in the U.S. there's an entire protocol about how to dispose of our national flag. The protocol is codified in the United States Code in Title 4, Chapter 1, Section 8, Paragraph k, which reads, "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning."
Most people don't want to go through the effort of burning a flag. If their American Legion Post is equipped to do so, they can take flags there and the post will properly dispose of them. In Vienna, Virginia, American Legion Post 180 provides this patriotic mailbox for people to leave their flags for pick up and disposal. This is the only place I've ever seen one of these. It's located at the corner of Battle and Mill Streets SE, just off of Park Street SE.
Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential
