How To Recycle Appliances Painlessly

[This article was orginally published in October 2019 and has been revised and updated.]

Getting rid of old appliances can be a difficult task, especially when the appliance is a large refrigerator/freezer unit or an old washing machine. The good news is that you can recycle appliances. 

For most homeowners, replacing old and worn out appliances can be an exciting endeavor. However, after purchasing those beautiful, new appliances, the last thing you want to think about is what you’re going to do with the old ones.

What You Don’t Want to Do With Old Appliances

Unfortunately, the default solution for many people is to simply store them in the garage or basement. While this might be your current solution, this is likely just adding even more clutter to an already crowded space.

So, how can you painlessly get rid of your old appliances?

Unlike smaller junk you don’t want, these things can’t simply be thrown in the trash bin. While you might be able to put it on the curbside and hope that someone will pick it up, this is not easy nor even very safe. An old, unattended appliance can pose a hazard, especially for small children.

Not only that, in some states, improper disposal of appliances can be punishable by either a fine or jail time. In addition, some appliances can be harmful to the environment if they are simply dumped somewhere. Refrigerators and air conditioners, for example, contain refrigerants that are often ozone-depleting and harmful chemicals, which can also contaminate groundwater if not properly disposed of.

Bottom line  – you need to dispose of appliances properly.

What You Can Do With Old Appliances

Far too often, homeowners and tenants simply leave old appliances in the garage or a back porch. Sometimes they are relegated to a backyard storage shed, but regardless of their final resting place, they're still in the way.

It's understandable, however, given the fact that most household appliances are large, bulky, and usually quite heavy. An average top-loading washing machine, for example, can weigh up to 200 pounds with 170 pounds being about average. And large side-by-side refrigerators? Try an average weight ranging between 250 to 350 pounds!

To avoid storing your old appliances, or dumping them illegally, here are a number of options for appliance removal:

Try Selling Them

If your appliances are working and in good condition, you could try selling them. While, your old dishwasher may no longer match your other new kitchen appliances, it could be a welcome addition for someone else.

There are a number of online selling sites such as Craigslist and eBay, in addition to specialty sites for specific types of items. Don’t forget sites like Nextdoor.com and you local online newspaper sites. You can even go “old school” and have a garage sale if you’re selling a few appliances and have other items you want to get rid of.

You Could Donate Them

By giving your old working appliances to someone who needs it you help both them and yourself. This could be to a local charity, a women's shelter, or someone in need in your neighbor. Thrift stores such as Goodwill Industries or the Salvation Army can take your old appliances as well, as long as they’re in working condition.

Consider Retailer Pickup

When you purchase your new appliances you may have the option of simply “swapping out” your old units when your new purchases are delivered. Some retailers will do this for you at no additional cost.

Recycle Appliances

At Junk King we believe in the concept of  “Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.”  And while old appliances can sometimes still go into landfills, recycling them instead is the best way to keep our planet and  environment healthy.

If your old units can’t be reused, recycling is a great alternative. There are recycling facilities in most states and any of them recycle large appliances. Keep in mind that you may have to pay a fee to get your large appliances recycled.   

Call a Junk Removal Service

Hiring a junk removal service like Junk King is a great option since because we’ll do all the appliance removal work for you. That means hauling it out, loading it on our truck, and disposing of it in an eco-friendly manner.

And since we're in the holiday season and the time of gift-giving, it can also be a great idea to simply "gift" your gently-used but still functioning older appliance to a friend, neighbor, or someone in need in your community.

Why Recycling Appliances Is a Good Alternative

According to Earth911.com, as of 2017, 22 states have banned appliances from landfills, including California, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania.

As a result, one source reports that,

"According to the statistics from 2018, the generation of major appliances (or white goods) was 5.3 million tons in the US. About 58% of that amount, or about 3.1 million tons, was recycled in order to recover ferrous metals (iron and steel)."

Here are some other appliance recycling facts to consider:

• Steel (the most recycled material in the U.S.) makes up 75 percent of the average appliance, and home appliances account for 10 percent of steel recycled in the U.S. each year.
• Refrigerators and air conditioners use fluorocarbons to chill air, and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are a leading contributor to ozone depletion. CFCs are released from a trashed refrigerator but will be safely processed by a recycler.
• Many utility companies will provide you with a credit to buy a new appliance and recycle the old one, not to mention the money you’ll save on your monthly bill.

In addition to the recovered materials, recycling appliances can help prevent emissions of greenhouse gases, prevent the release of used oil, save landfill space, and reduce energy consumption.

Call Junk King Today to Recycle Appliances Painlessly

Junk King provides an efficient, safe, and eco-friendly appliance removal service, so you don’t need to worry about the pickup or disposal of your unwanted items.

Since our focus is on preserving the environment, we make sure that your old appliances end up in the right place: whether it’s a local charity, or a recycling facility. Contact us today for all your appliance removal needs.

So, ready to remove and recycle those old appliances? It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3.

You can make an appointment by booking online or by calling 1.888.888.JUNK (5865). Our professional and insured appliance removal team will show up at your home and we call 15 minutes before we arrive on site.

Once there, we’ll give you a free estimate based on how much room your appliances take up in our truck. You point and we haul those items into our junk removal trucks, with no hidden fees.