Disposing of the American Flag

[kepdawg]

I'm doing some cleaning and there is a small (3x5) American flag I'm going to get rid of. Is there something official I am supposed to do with it? It feels wrong to simply throw it away.

[3afan]

http://www.usa-flag-site.org/faq/disposal.shtml

[carter08]

Retire the flag by burning it.
Give it to a Lions Club or Boy Scout troop.
They will hold a flag retirement ceremony

[espn1]

Originally posted by carter08
Retire the flag by burning it.
Give it to a Lions Club or Boy Scout troop.
They will hold a flag retirement ceremony Great answer! But please give it to the Boy Scouts or Cub Scouts.

[charlesrixey]

Burn it

This is what we do in the military, and per the references it is the only proper way to dispose of a flag, be it a post, garrison or storm flag.

Any time a flag touches the ground, it is no longer fit to be flown, and must be burned. Any Scouting organization, VFW or Reserve post can handle the duties responsibly.

This, of course, only refers to the national ensign (flag of the United States of America). Each state and organization may have their own standards.