on the scrap heap

on the scrap heap

Among other unwanted or unused things. Typically used after the verbs "throw" or "toss." It was disheartening to have something that took up so much of my time and energy end up on the scrap heap, but that's just the nature of the industry. It felt like I'd been thrown on the scrap heap after Janice left me.
See also: heap, on, scrap
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

on the ˈscrap heap

(informal) no longer wanted or considered useful: With the closure of the factory, thousands of workers have been thrown on the scrap heap.
See also: heap, on, scrap
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • scrap
  • the hang of
  • the hang of (something)
  • the upper hand
  • upper hand
  • when you've seen one (something), you've seen them all
  • when you've seen, heard, etc. one, you've seen, heard, etc. them all
  • all the difference in the world
  • be along
  • will be along
References in periodicals archive
Shortly, along with others, they are to dispense with his services and he is being thrown on the scrap heap.
However, its financial and economic affairs committee has asked for more time to negotiate with the government after MPs effectively threw the budget on the scrap heap.
ON THE SCRAP HEAP: The earth sculpture which used to reside at the side of the A66 has been thrown away after it succumbed to wear and tear
But BA and BMI need to do all in their power to ensure the 90 or so workers at Belfast City Airport are not thrown on the scrap heap - many of them after years of service.
"If I was trying to enter the business via something like The X Factor, I would have been out on the scrap heap before even the audition process" - David Gilmour, Pink Floyd's lead guitarist.
Speaking about Lynn, Esther Rantzen said: "There are so many recent cases of older women being thrown on the scrap heap.
Marc Littman's debut novel, Eddie And Me On The Scrap Heap, is the story of autistic nine-year-old Eddie and the remarkable changes he makes in the people around him, including Uncle Natie Newman (who is a forty-year-old would-be reggae singer who hasn't ever been to Jamaica but speaks and looks Jamaican), Captain Jake (an artist and pirate who has aspirations of sailing to Tahiti in the beached yacht which overlooks the broken cars of Jolly Roger's U-Pick junkyard), and Sharon (who is a modern day witch with a tragic past).
The next generation have been left on the scrap heap too.
Amicus general secretary Roger Lyons said: "If this continues, we can expect to see thousands more jobs on the scrap heap."
So farewell then, Steptoe and Son - the European Commission wants to put you on the scrap heap.
DOZENS of Jaguars and Mercedes are ending up on the scrap heap as broke owners abandon them.
Scots clubs have thrown 187 players on the scrap heap.
IF YOU think MICHAEL JACKSON's career is on the scrap heap you may be in for a surprise.
The last time the Tories were in power we had a recession, three million unemployed and 50,000 miners dumped on the scrap heap.
MATCH winner Craig Farrell has begged boss Paul Simpson not to throw him on the scrap heap.