9 Best Ways to Dispose of or Recycle Appliances
Thanks to their bulky shape and heavy weight, disposing of appliances is more difficult than getting rid of average household waste. But, for those ready to recycle appliances, many programs will haul them away for free or for a small fee.
How to Recycle Old Appliances
Prevent your old appliances from making their way to the landfill by recycling them. If you have a truck and some ratchet straps, you can recycle yourself. If not, take advantage of one of these programs.
Contact Your Utility Company
Many utility companies will haul away old appliances for free when their customers upgrade to energy-efficient models. Check your local utility company’s website or call them to inquire about old appliance recycling programs. Some programs will even give you a credit toward your energy bill for upgrading.
Have the New Appliance Retailer Recycle for You
If you’ve upgraded to new appliances and the retailer is delivering them, ask them to take your old ones. Most appliance retailers haul away and recycle old appliances for free or charge a small fee. You should discuss this when you purchase the new appliances.
Lowes, Home Depot, and Best Buy all provide haul-away services.
Deliver Old Appliances to a Scrap Metal Location
You can scrap almost all metal appliances, including washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers, hot water heaters, and freezers. In the case of AC units or refrigerators, you may need to drain the coolant before delivery. In most cases, the scrap metal yard will do this for you. They’ll even pay you for recycling your appliances, depending on current scrap metal rates.
List them for Free on Facebook Marketplace
Whether your appliances are still working or on their last leg, you can get rid of them on Facebook Marketplace. Some users look for old appliances to cash in as scrap metal, while others fix and flip them.
Donate to Habitat for Humanity
If you’re upgrading your appliances for aesthetic reasons, and they still work, donate to Habitat for Humanity. Habitat Restores make building materials and appliances affordable for those who need them, with profits benefiting the community.
How to Dispose of Old Appliances
Aside from recycling programs, there are a few more old appliance disposal methods available to you.
Contact Your Trash Pick-Up Services
Contact your curb-side trash pick-up service and arrange for them to take your old appliances. Most trash companies offer this service for a small fee.
Bring the Old Appliances to a Landfill
If you have a truck and the manpower to load your appliances, bring them to your local landfill. Contact the landfill ahead of time to ensure there are no extra steps you need to take, such as draining the appliance.
Rent Out a Dumpster
If you’re in the midst of a home remodel, rent a dumpster and load it up with the waste from your reno, including your old appliances.
Hire a Junk Removal Company
In most cases, it makes more sense to contact your local utility company or local metal scrappers to take away your old appliances for free. But, if you have a lot of junk to get rid of, hire a junk removal company to load it up and haul it away.