Don’t Trash It! Your Ultimate Guide to Appliance Recycling

Almost all appliances, large or small, are recyclable. Blenders, dryers, window air conditioners, refrigerators, and more all contain recyclable materials like copper, steel, and plastic. They also take up a lot of space and potentially release harmful chemicals into the air and environment. This occurs when they are left in a landfill. So, when you’re ready to trade out an old or broken appliance for something new, consider recycling or donating that old model – it’s better for the environment, and in many cases, it’s easier than trashing it anyway!

For some appliances, particularly the small ones, recycling is easy-peasy. You may be able to easily send these items off with your weekly recycling pickups. You can also drop them off at a recycling center anytime. Larger appliances may require a bit more research. Does your area require a scheduled pick-up? Do you need to dispose of Freon? Which recycling centers will even accept major appliances? We’ll go over these questions below in our complete guide to appliance recycling.

Why Recycle?

At first, glance, recycling a major appliance may seem like a hassle. But there are plenty of reasons to opt for this more environmentally friendly disposal method. Let’s go over why recycling your old refrigerators, broken ovens, and damaged dishwashers are important:

• Proper disposal of harmful chemicals. While not a concern for most smaller countertop appliances, major appliances like refrigerators, wall-mounted microwaves, and dishwashers contain toxic materials, like mercury and lead, that, if improperly disposed of, can contaminate the soil and, subsequently, local drinking water.

• Lessens the emission of greenhouse gasses, which degrade the ozone layer. As we mentioned in our previous point, major appliances contain a lot of materials that aren’t great for the environment. This includes materials that contribute to ozone depletion as they break down. Recycling an appliance helps to prevent this.

• Cuts down on landfill size and leaves more room for items that cannot be recycled.

• Appliances contain valuable recyclable materials, like steel, copper, and glass. Recycling them helps with the conservation of resources.

• If your appliance still works and it’s less than five years old, you can potentially hand it off to someone in need. Whether selling or donating, your old appliance could help someone who may not have the means to replace a broken appliance of their own.

• You may be able to get your money back by recycling. While traditional disposal of major appliances usually incurs an additional charge, taking the steps to recycle could net you savings in the form of rebates or tax write-offs.

• There may be additional charges for leaving an appliance curbside for trash pick up. Leaving your old appliances for garbage pick up could net you a fine or an additional charge. Some locations will only pick up large items on certain days and will penalize residents who leave uncollected trash out for too long. Other locations require that you call ahead to have something large picked up.

• Depending on where you live, major appliances may be banned from landfills entirely. As of 2023, 19 states plus Washington DC have bans in place for hazardous materials that include certain appliances. Check the EPA website for your state to find out what items are banned from landfills in your area.

Recycling vs Selling vs Donating: Which Is Best?

If your appliance is still in working order and is less than five years old, the most eco-friendly option is to sell or donate it. Even if it’s had a few more than five birthdays, you may still be able to donate your appliance to some organizations. Recycling is best for older appliances. Particularly if they aren’t energy-efficient models.  As well as appliances that are no longer in working condition.

Preparing Your Appliances For Recycling

Whether you’re sending them off to be recycled by the manufacturer or donating them to your local charity thrift store, there are a few things you’ll want to do before you get that appliance out of your home:

• Look into recycling pick-up in your area. Some locations have a specific day when waste management will pick up e-waste, including appliances, for recycling. Check out your local waste management company’s website and the EPA website for your state to get details!

• Unplug your appliance and let it sit unpowered for several days. In the case of appliances that have capacitors, this will help the capacitor to naturally and safely discharge whatever electricity it has stored up. On other appliances, this allows internal components to cool down, or in the case of freezers and refrigerators, warm up.

• Find out if your appliance utilized Freon and have it professionally removed if so. Freon is a chemical that was used in the cooling systems of older refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. If your appliance was made after 2003, it shouldn’t utilize Freon, but if you’re dealing with an older appliance, you’ll need to have the Freon removed by a professional.

• If you’re replacing an old appliance, find out if the folks you’ve bought the new one from recycle old appliances. They may do so at a discount or for free as part of a larger delivery or install package, which saves you a lot of time and potentially some money.

• If you’re donating or selling it, clean it out. If you’re just sending your old appliance off for recycling, this step isn’t so important (unless you want to check your washer one last time for any missing change or keys), however, most donation centers will not take appliances that still have food matter in them. So, be prepared to deep clean that old fridge or freezer before you give it away.

• Tape it up before relocating it. Bundle up cords and tape down doors and lids before moving your appliance to make sure nothing swings open during transport. Masking tape is better if your appliance is going to see use elsewhere since it won’t leave gunk behind. You can use duct tape if the appliance is going to be recycled.

• Get a dolly. Large appliances are heavy. Don’t hurt yourself or any of your helpers! Rent, borrow, or buy a dolly on the day you’re hauling it away to make sure it reaches its destination safely.

What To Do With An Appliance That Still Works

If your appliance is still in good working order, particularly if it is less than five years old, you have a couple of options:

Donation

Donation is one of the best and most eco-friendly ways of dealing with an old, still-functioning appliance. It keeps material out of landfills and puts important tools in the hands of those who need them.

Local thrift stores, charities like Habitat for Humanity, local churches, and schools are all places that will potentially accept donated appliances. Call ahead to see if they’re accepting whatever you’d like to drop off or if they have specific drop-off instructions. They may even have pickup services you can schedule, so you don’t need to worry about sourcing a truck and friends to help with heavy lifting.

If you’re donating, make sure to deep clean your appliances before they’re picked up or dropped off. Most locations have policies in place preventing them from accepting items that still have food matter in them – that includes stains from exploded hot dogs in microwaves or the remains of condiments in refrigerator doors, for example.

Selling

Selling your old appliances is always an option. Depending on the appliance, its age, and its condition, you may not get much back for it. But it’s worth a bit of research. Look into how much similar appliances are going for on seller sites and apps before you list anything. Again, be sure to clean your appliance out.

Also, exercise caution if you’re selling to someone you don’t know. For your safety, make sure you meet in a public place and not at your own home (or theirs), and consider bringing along a friend.

How To Recycle A Broken Appliance

No matter where you live, you’ve probably got a few different options available to you for appliance recycling. Finding out what they are may require a bit of additional research, however, as rules about recycling and availability of recycling pick up and drop off vary from state to state and city to city. We’ll go over a few of the most common options, though.

Drop the appliance off at a nearby recycling center

To make sure that your appliance is definitely getting recycled, the best thing to do is drop it off at a local recycling center. Websites like Earth911 have listings of appliance recycling locations by city and state, which can make this a whole lot easier. Be sure to call ahead before you drop anything off, as some locations may accept drop-offs only on certain days.

Go through your local waste management service

Check your local waste management service’s website to see if they will pick up and recycle large appliances, “white goods” (an old term for appliances), or e-waste (which includes appliances). They may handle these items on a quarterly, monthly, or as-needed basis.

Have a larger chain store recycle your appliance

If you’re already purchasing a replacement appliance, the store you’ve bought it from may have a program in place to take and recycle the old one. You may even receive a discount on your new appliance if you use this service!

Before choosing this option, do your research. Make sure that the appliances you’re handing over are actually being recycled, and double-check what additional costs there may be if any. Sometimes these services are only available for free to members of premium store programs or require the purchase of delivery and installation of the new appliance.

Return the appliance to the manufacturer

Most manufacturers will take back old appliances and recycle them for you, but this could be an extremely pricey option, as they don’t always pay shipping fees. Again, be sure to do your research before committing to this method. Details for appliance recycling will always be available on a manufacturer’s website.

Recycle through a RAD Partner

The US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Responsible Appliance Disposal program (RAD) has tapped a number of organizations that will properly collect and recycle old appliances like refrigerators. You can track down a RAD partner through the EPA website, but at the moment this program isn’t available in every state.

Sell or give away your old appliance for scrap

Scrap yards, appliance repair shops, and even individuals browsing sites like Facebook Marketplace for scrap may happily take appliances for spare parts. In some instances, you can even get a bit of money for the trade-off. Again, do your research and make sure any trades are done in a public place!

Wrapping Up

Depending on where you live, appliance recycling may be easier and more affordable than just dumping an old model in the trash. If you have any more questions about appliance removal or repair, why not head on over to our blog? We’ve got tons of guides for troubleshooting, cleaning, repairing, and replacing old appliances, and if it’s just replacement OEM parts you need, AppliancePartsPros.com has you covered there, too. Check out our main website, where you’ll find our inventory of OEM components and repair tips from experts and DIYers just like you.