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One of the best ways to improve the sustainability of your home is to update to more energy efficient appliances. For example, if you still have an old energy-hog refrigerator that was manufactured in the 1970s, your refrigerator may be using up to five times more electricity than new, high-efficiency models. For most homeowners, this probably means that you are spending at least $200 or more each year to keep your food from perishing. The same can be said for TVs, air conditioners, heaters and furnaces, microwaves, and virtually every other appliance and piece of electronics that you have in your home.
What most people don’t know, however, is that improper disposal of older electronics and appliances may very well be directly leading to an enormous amount of greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states that “household refrigerators and freezers manufactured before 1995 typically contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) refrigerant. Many window air-conditioning units and dehumidifiers contain hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) refrigerant. CFCs and HCFCs are ozone-depleting substances (ODS) that, if released to the environment, destroy the ozone layer. Moreover, CFC and HCFC refrigerants are also potent greenhouse gasses. Their release contributes to global climate change.”
Similarly, older kitchen appliances like refrigerators and freezers made before 2005 most likely contain a type of foam insulations that contains ODS. This chemical, when released to the atmosphere, can also cause ozone depletion and greenhouse gas emissions.
Even more worrisome is the fact that almost all household appliances, even those manufactured in more recent years, may contain hazardous components, including used oil, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, and other heavy metals. For this reason, electronic waste (including used appliances) represents just 2 percent of America’s trash that ends up in landfills, but it represents 70 percent of overall toxic waste.
Proper disposal of your used appliances, then, is one of the most important characteristics of an environmentally friendly household. Though updating to more energy efficient electronics and appliances can help to reduce your carbon footprint, it is equally important to recycle or otherwise properly dispose of your used and older appliances to avoid excessive greenhouse gas emissions, the leaching of ozone-depleting chemicals, and other sources of potentially toxic waste.
Below, we offer three simple tips for how every homeowner, resident, and business owner in the South San Francisco area can recycle and dispose of their appliances in an environmentally friendly manner.
Tip #1: Check to See if the Retailer Offers a Buy-Back Program
In some cases, you may be able to recycle your used appliance with the retail company where you originally purchased the item. Recently there has been increased pressure on major retailers to step up their efforts to help reduce the increasing amount of e-waste generation. If you are thinking of purchasing a new toaster or refrigerator, you might ask the retailer if they can accept or even buy back your old appliance. Of course, for larger appliances, this might require the use of a large pickup truck and some heavy duty lifting, which might not be feasible for everyone.
Tip #2: Understand the Legal Requirements Associated with Obligatory Appliance Recycling
With e-waste becoming an increasingly serious problem around the country, illegally dumping your old refrigerator or freezer may actually result in a hefty fine. For example, federal law requires that when household appliances are taken out of service, all refrigerant be recovered prior to dismantling or disposal, and other waste products like mercury, used oil, and PCBs be properly managed and stored. In the state of California, used appliances must have certain materials such as mercury, used oils, PCBs, and refrigerants removed before disposal in landfills. Lastly, for both individuals and businesses in South San Francisco, appliances that are powered by batteries or electricity require special handling. These items must either be taken to an e-waste recycling facility or be collected through the Bulky Item Collection Program.
Tip #3: Attempt to Donate
Lastly, if you are having a hard time finding a place to recycle your used appliances, you may also consider donating those items. Listing your gently used appliances for free on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or other similar websites may make it easy for you to get rid of those items without having to do any heavy hauling or lifting. If you do have a way of hauling these items, you might also consider taking these items to Goodwill, The Salvation Army, or other certified charities for a tax-deductible donation.
In many cases, complying with local appliance recycling mandates may be difficult for people who have large amounts of bulky junk but who don’t have a way to haul that junk to the nearest e-waste collection facility. If you need to get rid of large appliances that are taking up space in your home or business, Junk King of South San Francisco is one example of a full-service junk removal company that takes seriously their commitment to reducing the amount of e-waste ending up in local landfills.
Why You Should Hire Junk King for All your Appliance Recycling Needs
Here at Junk King of South San Francisco, we offer the number one rated junk removal service, providing superior value, service and effort to the customers we serve. If you live in South San Francisco, Junk King can help you comply with recycling and trash removal laws and ordinances, including all appliance recycling laws.
We are proud to support the recycling initiatives and ordinances that are helping to make San Francisco one of the greenest (if not the greenest) city in North America. Over several years of being leaders in the junk removal industry, we have developed several connections with certified recycling centers, donation and thrift shops, and other businesses to ensure that your used appliances are either recycled or get a chance at “another life.”
For individuals, homeowners, and business owners located in Brisbane, Burlingame, Daly City, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Montara, Moss Beach, Pacifica, San Bruno, San Mateo, or other parts of South San Francisco, Junk King is the best junk removal company to help you safely and responsibly deal with your used appliances. Besides appliance recycling, we can also help you with furniture disposal, electronic waste recycling, bulky junk item removal, yard debris removal, hot tub disposal, and much more. As long as it is not classified as toxic waste, we can help you remove the junk you have stored in your home or business.
Unlike other junk removal services who simply drive your trash to the nearest landfill, we make a sincere effort to recycle or donate as much as possible. Our mission is to ensure that at least 60 percent of all the trash and junk we collect at each site is either recycled, reused, or repurposed. Our company is here to ensure that individuals and businesses can get rid of their excess junk while also having a positive impact on the environment, and their local community.
How to Contract Junk King South San Francisco
If you are ready to free up some space in your home or business, you can schedule your next junk removal appointment with Junk King South San Francisco by simply calling 1-888-888-JUNK. We believe in fair and transparent pricing, and thus make every effort to offer live, on-site pricing, especially for larger jobs. By actually visiting the site and seeing the junk you need hauled away, we can offer you an accurate price for the job. Our on-site price assessment is free and comes with no obligations to hire us. You can also text us a photo of the junk or trash items that you need removed at 737-888-5865, and we will text you back a price estimate.
Lastly, we also offer an efficient pricing estimate online. Just follow the link on the “Pricing” tab on our website, scroll to pricing estimator, enter your zip code, and choose estimate “By List Item” or “By Truckload.” We are currently offering a $20 rebate for hiring us online.
