Recycling | Recycle | Recyclables

Introduction: There will be some things that you just can't fix or can’t afford to pay to have fixed. And there are some things that just shouldn’t be thrown in the trash. If the repair on a small appliance cost approximately 50% of the cost of a replacement appliance, most people will purchase a new one that incorporates the latest technology and energy use. But you should not throw the old one in the trash. It should be recycled! Recycling saves resources and protects the environment.

There are many things that can be reused or recycled, depending on what they are, the value to others, and how easy it is to get them to the people who want and need them. For example, most of the cell phones that you trade in on new cell phones wind are recycled and sold or given gratis in another country such as Africa.

Recycling is subject to local interpretation and budgets. You may find that recycling appliances and other things you no longer have a use for may be easy or relatively difficult depending on where you live. The best way to learn about recycling is to call the company that picks up your trash. If you live in a rural area you most likely are required to take your trash and recyclables to a landfill or transfer station. Most of these sites serve as recycling centers. Contact them to determine the recycling requirements in your area.

For many communities recyclable things are collected separately or need to be sorted by type of material: metals, plastics, papers, and yard waste. Some communities have curbside recycling pick up for small a major appliances, others do not. In some towns there are private recyclers that will pick up just about any recyclable materials you put at the curb on specified days.

Most major appliances are made of approximately 75% steel and about a third of that is recycled. Other metals in most appliances include: copper, aluminum, and zinc, all of which is recyclable. Refrigerators, freezers, ranges, ovens, cook tops, clothes washers, dryers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers room air conditioners, trash compactors also contain a lot these recycle materials. Refrigeration appliances may require specialized recyclers to remove the Freon gas before recycling. That is why some landfills charge a fee for accepting these appliances. Others charge a fee for any large objects that they accept. Many private recyclers will pay for nearly all kinds of scrap metals.

If recyclers will not accept you material, organizations like the Salvation Army and Goodwill frequently take non-working appliances as donations. The items are rehabilitated along with the people who fixed them. Broken and worn out appliances and things created jobs for many people. This is a great way to get rid of an old car. Another option is to give recyclable items to a repair shop.

Repair shops frequently uses parts from the items as spare parts to repair other fixable recycles. Some shops can refurbish and resell items. Most pay little money if anything for the broken things as there isn’t enough profit in it, but they may bring it back to working condition and save someone else some money. This will save you from paying a recycling charge at a landfill or recycling center.

Recycling saves on contaminating the environment and possibly the ground water and helps diminishing resources. As there is only one earth we should all do our part by recycling everything that is recyclable.

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