As a homeowner or a renter, there are few things more satisfying than upgrading an appliance. Picking up a new fridge, dishwasher, or washer-dryer can make your daily routine so much easier and more enjoyable. However, then comes the question of what to do with the old appliance. Unfortunately, you can’t just chuck a microwave or air conditioning unit in the trash, which means doing a little research and making sure you’re disposing of everything properly.

Let Us Do the Work For You

If you’d prefer to skip all the trouble and just bring in the experts, Junk King Contra Costa just so happens to specialize in removing appliances of pretty much every shape and size. Just point to what you need to be removed and we’ll take it to our truck and haul it away, easy as pie. Our professionals are experts at hauling even the biggest appliances away from the most difficult places, whether that’s the attic of a three-story home or the tight hallways of an apartment building.

With Junk King, you always have the peace of mind from knowing your appliance is going to be handled properly once we haul it away. The first place we take any appliance is to our sorting center, where we take a look and decide what should be done with it. If it still works, we’ll donate it to a local charity, otherwise, the parts are safely recycled to be used in other products.

Of course, if you’d rather handle the removal process yourself, here are a few tips you should keep in mind.

Be Careful With Appliance Refrigerants!

Some appliances, like fridges, freezers, and air conditioning units, contain pockets of gasses called refrigerants, usually Freon gas. Freon can be damaging to the ozone layer if released, so there are plenty of regulations in place to make sure appliances containing Freon are handled properly. If you mishandle, damage, or even tip over an old fridge, you can accidentally release the Freon gas into the atmosphere, which can have devastating results for the environment. Improper disposal of appliances containing Freon can also land you a hefty fine from the state, so make sure you’ve done your research before dumping the old A/C unit somewhere.

In the state of California, regulations state that refrigerants like Freon can only be removed by a licensed professional, which means you can only dispose of your fridge or A/C unit at an authorized disposal center. Attempting to remove the Freon yourself can not only be dangerous but can land you in hot water with the authorities, as well as cause damage to the environment. Even a single molecule of gas like Freon can destroy over 100,000 molecules of ozone in the atmosphere,  so it’s important to be responsible. When it comes to refrigerants, leave the disposal work to the professionals, whether that’s an appliance recycler at a disposal station or a professional appliance removal service like Junk King.

What About Electronics?

Today’s smart appliances can be incredibly convenient, but the embedded microchips and computer processors can make disposal a bit more of a hassle. Smart fridges, dishwashers, and other appliances with computer components are technically considered electronic waste, or “e-waste,” and so they come with their own set of rules for disposal.

E-waste can’t be put in a landfill in the state of California, so appliances with computer parts have to be handled carefully. This is because most electronics contain chemicals that can be hazardous to you or the people around you if not disposed of properly. Currently, while e-waste makes up only 2% of the trash generated in the US every year, it accounts for about 70% of the toxic waste in landfills across the country.

Electronic waste is also full of rare and valuable materials that can be recycled and used again in other products. Circuit boards, microchips, and other computer components are made with copper, silver, gold, and even rarer minerals like palladium. Many of these minerals are increasingly difficult to find, making e-waste recycling more important than ever.

At Junk King, e-waste is one of our specialties, and we make sure that every ounce of rare earth minerals is being extracted and recycled from the appliances and electronics we take in. According to the EPA, only about 12% of electronic waste is currently being properly recycled in the United States, with the rest ending up in landfills. We think it’s important for all of us to do our part to get that number closer to 100%.

Make Sure to Stay Safe!

It might seem a little histrionic, but lifting heavy appliances can really do a number on your body, especially if you’re not sure how to do it the right way. At Junk King, our hauling professionals are trained in the best techniques for lifting and carrying heavy objects, but the average person might not know how to move their appliances in the safest possible way.

First things first, make sure to stretch! It might sound like overkill, but a quick stretch before any strenuous activity is a must. Stretching keeps your muscles flexible and lengthy, giving you a full range of motion and strength. If you perform any physical activity without stretching, your muscles can be tight or pulled short, which means you won’t have as much strength when you try to lift that fridge, so take a couple of minutes to stretch it out first!

You’ve probably heard this tip before, but lifting with your legs is probably the single most important thing you can do to avoid hurting yourself while moving appliances or other heavy objects. Bending over to lift something instead of crouching and using your legs puts a huge amount of stress on the vertebrae of your back, and can contribute to back problems later in life. It also forces you to use only your arms to lift, instead of utilizing the full strength of your core and legs to help. Any time you pick something up off the ground, keep your back straight and crouch instead of bending over – your body will thank you!