Recycling Appliances

Recycling Appliances

Not sure what items around your house are suitable for recycling? This series of pages will cover all materials that an informed layman and consumer should be aware of regarding most commonly known recyclable materials- things like newspaper, Styrofoam, aluminum, and plastic water bottles.

We will also discuss some materials that are not widely known to be recyclable like rubber and concrete. There should be special attention given to materials that are poorly understood and/or hard to recycle.

Uses

Appliance recycling allows the cycle that creates excellent solutions while getting rid of some old household items. The disposal of large items like appliances may sound a bit frightening to some but it needs to be practiced for the sake of a better environment.

Recycling Appliances / Donate

While undergoing the process a good place to start is your local donation centers and recycling programs that they provide. Many programs offer local pick-up services and have lists of families in need that would be happy to have a working appliance. Your neighborhood Salvation Army are great places to start.

Appliance Donation Center at GE

Habitat for Humanity ReStores

Appliance 411 Recycling Tips

ARCA Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc.

Big Brothers and Sisters Donation Center

City of Ann Arbor Resale & Donation Centers

Recycling Appliances / Local Programs

You can also check out your local County and Municipal Programs. A quick call to your electric utility provider will let you know if a program is available in your area. In general, the appliances must be working and meet certain conditions to qualify but if they do you could be in line for a nice little rebate.

Your municipality will let you know if they will pick up your old appliance or where you can drop it off for disposal. To get more details check out the EPA's (Environmental Protection Agency's ) FAQ on disposing appliances or call your municipality.

Stats

Refrigerators can be one of the most energy-sucking appliances that we use on a daily basis. A good way to counter this inevitability is to replace your old refrigerator with a more energy-efficeint one. Why?

The 4 points below, as supplied by the EPA, tell the story:

1. Replacing an inefficient, 20–year old refrigerator with one that has earned the government's ENERGY STAR® label will save a household roughly 700 kWh/year or more—or upwards of $70/year.

2. If a secondary refrigerator (e.g., in a basement or garage) is removed and not replaced, households can save about 1,200 kWh/year, or roughly $120/year.

3. Reducing energy demand results in reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and certain criteria air pollutants.

4. Additional energy savings can be achieved if the components of disposed units are recycled instead of landfilled by eliminating the need to produce virgin materials.

Recycling Appliances / EPA

http://www.epa.gov/ozone/partnerships/rad/radusappldisposal.html
http://www.epa.gov/ozone/partnerships/rad/raddisposal_factsheet.html
http://www.greenyour.com/home/housekeeping/garbage/tips/recycle-used-appliances?subject=840
http://housewares.about.com/od/majorappliances/a/appliancedonate.htm

Find a place near you ro recycle your appliances...

Local/Denver http://www.unwanted.com/
Australia http://apac.simsrecycling.com/

For more information on recycling appliances near you just input the phrase, recycling appliances in 'your area' in your search engine search bar. Or go to earth911.com.

For more information on other types of materials that can be recycled and about why recycling is important follow these links:

What Materials Can Be Recycled

Recycling Lead

Recycle Carpet

Recycle Clip Art

Recycling Ink Cartridges

Recycling Metals

Recycling Old Computers

Recycling Paper

PET Recycling

Recycling Plastic Bottles

Recycling Styrofoam