How To Dispose Of Small Appliances
Small appliances, like blenders and toasters, are built to last a long time. But eventually, you’re probably going to need to upgrade. Most small appliances are mainly composed of metal, like steel. So, they have useful materials that are pretty easy to recycle — and shouldn’t end up in the landfill. Learn how to dispose of small appliances in this article.
Recycling Small Appliances
It is unlikely that you will be able to place small appliances in your curbside recycling bin for recycling. However, you may be able to take them to a recycling center. Any community with a permanent electronics recycling collection center can take small appliances for recycling. You may think of these centers as the place to take goods like computers, printers, and televisions. However, most can take just about anything that runs on batteries or has a power cord. Check with your local e-waste recycling center for more details.
If your town does not have an e-waste collection center, it may offer other e-waste recycling solutions. Many solid waste districts schedule special collection events at various times throughout the year. Nonprofits, churches, and schools may sponsor e-waste collection days. Check with private businesses to see if they offer electronic recycling services. If nothing else, you can increase your ability to recycle some small appliances by deconstructing them.
Power cords are fairly easy to recycle if you can find a place that takes them (like a local metal recycler). They are also fairly easy to remove. All you need is a strong pair of wire cutters. If your appliance has mostly metal pieces, you can check with your local recycling company and see if you can place them in its metal recycling bin. Some examples are mixing bowls, the beaters from mixers, toasters, and the cooking pans from rice cookers.
Reusing Small Appliances
If your small appliances are still working, consider donating them to a thrift store, selling them at a garage sale, or putting them on Craigslist. Plenty of people are looking for good deals on small appliances and are happy to buy secondhand. That is especially true if you have a high-value item like an expensive espresso machine, a Vitamix blender, or a Kitchenaide stand mixer. Depending on the type of small appliance you are looking to get rid of, you might also be able to donate it to a charity that can use it rather than selling it.
Cooking programs for youth might be interested in things like mixers, blenders, and food processors. Small homeless shelters might appreciate items like toasters, coffeemakers, and electric kettles. If your item no longer works, consider looking for a volunteer-run program that will help you repair it. In my community, the Repair2Reuse Café attends fairs and festivals to help people fix juicers, griddles, ice cream makers, and other small appliances. Reusing these items will save you the cost of having to buy a new appliance. It can also save your item from an eternity in a landfill.
Safety Tips in Disposing of Small Appliances
Electrical appliances cause serious injuries, fatalities, and fires in homes, and detecting a possible electrical issue on time has never been more important. Kitchen appliances that use both electricity and water are especially dangerous. If your main reason for disposal is a malfunction or unusual operation, make sure to have your electrician inspect both the appliances and the outlets.
Repairing and installing kitchen appliances is a part of the core service offering of many electricians who specialize in residential work. In addition to checking whether your appliance is safe to be operated and removed, the electrician can test all the GFCI receptacles in your kitchen that can significantly reduce the risk of shock when plugging in small kitchen appliances.
If your appliances are just in terrible shape, you don't want the hassle of trying to find a scraper or don't have the time to recycle them, then knowing how to dispose of small appliances is important.
Suppose you're disposing of small appliances because you're in the midst of a remodel, such as redoing your kitchen, and you're updating all your appliances. In that case, you should also be able to toss all your appliances into your dumpster rental. Be sure to check with your dumpster rental company to see any restrictions regarding what you can throw away in the dumpster. Know more about disposing appliances.
Conclusion
No matter how nice or high-quality your microwave, toaster, or blender, small appliances like these will die eventually, and it will be time to get a new one; or, you may decide to upgrade before their last, dying beep. The most common way of dealing with how to dispose of small appliances is through recycling or reusing.
