Can I Recycle That? - Small Appliances

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
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Can I Recycle That? - Small Appliances

Can I Recycle That

Have you ever had an item in your hand and asked yourself "Can I Recycle That?". Although recycling is more commonplace today, it can feel confusing because we are inundated with so many different types of materials and packaging. Additionally, different materials might be accepted for recycling based on where you live, whether you go to your local transfer station to drop off or have a recycling hauler pick your recycling up curbside, and if special recycling instructions exist for the material no matter where you recycle.

In a past issue of DEC Delivers, we asked you to send us your recycling questions. In DEC's series  "Can I Recycle That?", we answer some of these frequently asked questions about correct recycling practices regarding miscellaneous items you may have. Look for future issues with more answers to your recycling questions!Coffee Maker

Q: How do I recycle small appliances?

A: If your small appliance (toaster oven, coffee pot, microwave, blender, etc.) no longer works, you can prepare it for its "next life" by following these simple tips.

Remember - Reduce first, then reuse then recycle!

REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR: Before you think about recycling or disposing of your small appliance, are there other things you can do with it? If your small appliance is not broken or has not reached the end of its useful life and is in good working condition, try donating it to a reuse or second hand store in your area. If your small appliance is broken you can also try fixing it or buying new parts before buying a totally new appliance. Do you not consider yourself a handy person? You can visit a local Repair Café to connect with mentors who can teach you how to fix your appliance! iFixIt is another great resource to learn how to repair just about anything.

SEPERATE and ASK: If you cannot donate or repair your appliance, start by carefully separating the different units of the item (ex: remove the coffee pot from the coffee maker, heating element from a toaster oven, the blender container from the blender base, etc.).Microwave Oven

  • If the main unit contains metal (such as a toaster oven), many scrap metal facilities will accept the item. Some transfer stations also accept scrap metal. However, please call a location to make sure before going there.
  • Small household appliances as a whole, as well as their individual parts (the glass carousel from your microwave, the coffee pot from your coffeemaker, etc.), should never be put in your regular household recycling bin. Treated glass, glassware and ceramics are not accepted by most residential recycling programs. These items normally melt at higher temperatures than bottles and jar glass (container glass) and therefore don’t melt uniformly with container glass and makes an inferior end product. In addition, the plastic pieces of small appliances are likely a size that cannot be easily handled by recycling facilities.

KEEP IT CLEAN: If you find out you can recycle some parts of the appliance or repair and donate it - excellent! Don’t forget that it’s very important to remove all liquids/fluids and food from all parts of the appliance to reduce recycling contamination and ensure a quality end product. Please do not donate non-working appliances. If you cannot recycle an item, you should dispose of it to keep the recycling stream clean and free of contaminants. Let's keep the recycling stream clean to make recycling work for everyone!


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We Want To Hear From You!

Home composting is an easy way to manage your waste on site and produce a nutrient rich compost for your home garden beds. It's time to start prepping your compost pile for the winter season and we'd like to know what you do! How do you ensure you have enough browns in the cold months? How to you store your browns? Do you insulate your pile throughout the winter season? Pictures of your home compost pile are welcome. Selected submissions will be featured in an upcoming DECDelivers on home composting.

Is there a topic you'd like to learn more about? Or a public event or workshop related to recycling (organics, textiles, traditional recyclables, etc.) you'd like the greater community to know about? E-mail us at organicrecycling@dec.ny.gov.