What You Need to Know About Recycling Large Appliances

When your large appliance becomes old or faulty, the typical next step is to dispose of them. But do you know that these white goods often harm the environment when you don’t dispose of them properly?

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), about 9 million freezers are dumped each year. Yet, these appliances retain value and are helpful for further production. So it’s important to learn about available recycling options that can fetch you some money while protecting the environment.

Why Should You Recycle Large Appliances?

Here’s why recycling is a better alternative to dumping used appliances in a landfill.

• Recycling Creates Space — Consider selling to a recycling company as an option when upgrading your kitchen or renovating your home. You’ll get more space to bring in newer equipment or create new setups.
• Recycling Utilizes Resources: Recycling used appliances provides manufacturers with more resources for production. Also, manufacturing cycles are limited as there’ll be no need to, e.g., mine iron ore for ferrous metals. Governments and businesses can thus, reach their circular-economy goals.
• Recycling Decongests Land Space: Appliances like air conditioners, refrigerators, dishwashers, and dryers often use up space in landfills. That’s why we need to embrace recycling, which prevents the filling up of landfills.
• Recycling Reduces Toxic Emission: When white goods are dumped in landfills, chemicals like lead, beryllium, mercury, cadmium, chromium, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) leach into the soil and deplete the ozone layer.

How To Recycle Large Appliances

If you’re considering recycling but don’t know how to go about it, here’s what you can do:

Support Local Disposal Initiatives

Contact your state waste disposal authority or environmental board for proper disposal of your large appliances. Tell them about your items and find out about their pickup or drop-off process. You might need to drop the appliance at a designated location.

Sell to Scrap Buyers

Many people don’t know that recycling their large appliances can fetch them some money aside from keeping the environment clean or healthy. Many of the appliances at home or your office have metal components useful for building new products. All you’ll need to do is find a scrap dealer near you.

Give to Charity

You can also donate your old or used appliances to individuals or groups in need. Look out for orphanages, worship centers, or charities around you that may need an old-functioning appliance.

How to Prepare Your Large Appliance for Recycling

Before sending your appliance to the charity or scrapyard, you’ll need to prepare it. After all, you won’t want to damage the appliance while moving it.

So here’s what to do:

• Remove any external object or item that’s not a part of the appliance.
• Remove all panels and doors on an air conditioning or cooling device.
• Get a professional to drain an air conditioner or coolant.
• Carefully pack the wires in a bag or hold them with a clip.
• Separate tubes, tanks, and hoses in each unit.

After preparation, you can call your recycler.

Time to Recycle Your Large Appliances

Keeping a clean and safe environment is not hard. By embracing a lifestyle that has sustainability in mind, both the individual’s health and the nation’s economy will improve. So, get recycling.

Author: Christiana Jolaoso

Photo: dailyhive.com