Everything You Need to Know About Appliance Recycling

Everything You Need to Know About Appliance Recycling

The typical kitchen will have several different appliances, and this number extends beyond the classic fridge, stove, dishwasher, and microwave that most modern kitchens are equipped with. Appliances were first invented in the early 1900s to simplify routine household chores and save people a great amount of time. The usage of appliances has evolved from expediting basic tasks like washing dishes or keeping food cold to more niche tasks like pressing paninis or cooking perfect Belgian waffles. Regardless of what type of appliances you own, at some point you will need to replace them. The safest and most environmentally responsible method to accomplish this is by recycling your old appliances. Many cities offer an appliance recycling program, but your best bet is to drop off your old appliances at a trusted scrap metal recycling depot like Tal Metal Inc. to receive compensation for your old appliances.

The typical appliance is a complex arrangement of materials that requires the attention of a professional recycling agency to sort through and dispose of any potentially harmful components. For example, your old refrigerator contains several products, such as chlorofluorocarbons, (more commonly known as CFCs) that are detrimental to the environment. In the case of CFCs, the ozone layer can be negatively affected if they aren’t handled correctly. In order to ensure that the environmental impact of disposing of your old appliances is minimized, it’s highly recommended that you seek out an experienced appliance recycling facility. Appliances that are simply thrown out and taken to a landfill may contain toxic heavy metals such as mercury that can leach into the soil and persist there for years.

Appliances also contain valuable components that a metal recycling facility like Tal Metal Inc. can extract and convert into valuable recycled metal products. Some appliances that are more technologically advanced may even have a high amount of precious metals in them, such as gold, which is used in circuit boards due to its unparalleled conductivity levels. Most appliances also contain desirable scrap metals like steel, iron, or aluminum that can also be recycled.

Almost every appliance contains plastic, even stainless steel appliances. The interior, shell, or both the interior and exterior of many appliances is typically made from plastic. Plastic is energy-intensive in its production, not to mention that a great deal of plastics are manufactured using petroleum products. By properly recycling your appliances, the plastic avoids being deposited into a landfill site, and the plastic can be converted to a reusable product, saving the material input required for the manufacture of new plastics.

If you’re replacing appliances, whether it’s for a kitchen renovation or they simply stopped working, taking them to a quality recycling depot like Tal Metal Inc. is the best option without a question. Not only is the choice to recycle your old appliances environmentally responsible and much safer overall, you will likely receive compensation for your old appliances. Contact Tal Metal Inc. today if you have any questions about the appliance recycling process or if you have any old appliances that need to be recycled.