Imagine your large appliances like washing machines, refrigerators, air conditioners, microwaves, ovens, water heaters, etc. that you have deemed as castoffs coming in handy and suddenly becoming useful. Well stop the imagination; this is possible only when you recycle appliances instead of dumping them as waste.
What is Recycling?
Simply put, recycling is the conversion of unwanted appliances meant to be thrown out into something useful.
What are the ways one can recycle appliances?
There are several ways you can recycle your appliances. One of them is up-cycling. Up-cycling, also known as creative reuse, is the transforming of useless, or unwanted products into new materials or products that are of better quality or better for the environment. For large appliances that could mean turning a refrigerator into a bookshelf or couch. Turn a washing machine drum into a firepit. Turn a computer CPU into a mailbox. The choices are only limited by your imagination on this one.
Another is pre-cycling, this is making choices to avoid creating trash or waste. Small examples of this are using cloth grocery bags instead of paper or plastic from the store. On a larger scale, it can mean buying products that minimize packaging or use recyclable packaging materials. So when purchasing appliances look at the packaging used, can it be recycled or does the manufacturer offer to recycle the packaging?
You can also down-cycle, something is broken down into its components, again and again, each time the materials are of lesser and lesser quality. A simple example of this is paper. Each time paper is reprocessed the fibers become shorter and shorter, so the quality of the paper is reduced until it is only useful as compost. In appliances this may mean reusing smaller parts, melting down metals to be reused, or processing glass into a new form. There is also E-cycling, a kind of recycling or refurbishment of electronics for use instead of considering them as waste.
Importance of recycling large appliances
Most large electrical appliances like the ones mentioned above were manufactured using toxic materials. When dumping these items, these harmful substances would, in the long run, find their way into the environment and cause harm to humans and the ecology at large. But when you choose to recycle these appliances instead, the toxic materials are preserved in the recycled component and continue to be useful or are removed and disposed of properly as not to cause harm. A clear benefit to all.
It is essential to know that recycling large electronic appliances is cost-effective since you can choose to sell them off especially when they are still in working condition or find a better use for them.
How do you recycle your large appliances?
The way large appliances are recycled vary and are contingent on the type of appliance. The best bet is to find a recycler who is very knowledgeable about the kind of item you want to recycle.
What are the gains you will get when you recycle your large appliances?
You can get cash for them, you can trade them for other appliances, and in some instances, you can get discounts from some manufacturers.
Is there any legal restriction to disposing of large appliances?
Governments the world all over, are interested in preserving the environment and reducing waste. So there is a tendency that in any city there will be laws that will mandate you to recycle your large appliances instead of discarding them. Check with the local waste management office for information.
For more information on large appliance removal, contact McJunk at 919-850-4377.