You’ve picked up a new, energy efficient appliance. But what do you do with the old one? The thought of it rusting away in some landfill doesn’t evoke the happiest of thoughts. Appliance recycling can assuage those feelings of guilt and have a positive impact on the environment.
First things first, evaluate the condition of the appliance. If it works, has all of its pieces and is less than seven years old, there’s a good chance you can donate it to a local ReStore. And if the item is particularly desirable, there may be some wiggle room on the seven-years rule. Be sure to double check and send over a photo —we may be able to make an exception for your appliance. We’ll even pick up your donation right from your home!
Appliance Recycling
If your appliance is old, broken or otherwise not in the best shape, donation may not be an option for you. In that case, recycling is the way to go. You can recycle the following, as well as any other home appliances.
- Refrigerators
- Stoves
- Cooktops
- Dishwashers
- Microwaves
- Washers
- Dryers
- Other home appliances
If you can transport them, appliances can be recycled for free at most recycling centers. For bigger appliances or those you’re unable to take to a recycling center yourself, a hauling service that recycles, such as 1-800-GOT-JUNK, is always an option. Some cities also offer a free pick up to recycle big items, so be sure to check and see if that’s an option where you live.
Environmental Benefits
For a task as simple as calling a phone number and scheduling a pick-up, the benefits to the environment are pretty incredible.
- Reduce landfill sizes
- Gather reusable scrap metal
- Lower emissions of ozone-depleting substances and greenhouse gases
- Prevent hazardous materials from seeping into soil and groundwater by handling them responsibly
The Do’s and Don’ts
To prevent some pretty scary environmental consequences, appliance recycling all boils down to a couple of simple do’s and don’ts.
Do: Donate appliances in good working condition, and recycle all other appliances.
Don’t: Send appliances to the landfill if you can help it.
Remember the three R’s that you (hopefully) learned in grade school—reduce, reuse and recycle. That includes all appliances!
Have you recently donated or recycled an appliance? Have any questions about appliance recycling specifics for us? Ask away in the comments below.
Thank you so much for mentioning that just by recycling your appliances, you are actually helping prevent dangerous materials from getting into the ground or water. My husband and I just bought a brand new microwave, but we haven’t been sure what to do with our old broken one. I’ll be sure to suggest we recycle it so that we can help decrease landfill sizes.