Today we're talking about appliance recycling, which may not be something you've ever thought about. In most cases, being green does take a little bit more time and effort and appliance recycling is definitely a part of that.
So why would we want to recycle our appliances? Well, first of all, obviously, appliances are very big. If you think about your stove, your oven, your washing machine, they're really big, and they take up a lot of space in landfills. They also are made with materials that as they decompose, if they decompose very much at all, those materials can actually leach harmful chemicals into our water and our soil and our air. So it's really just best to minimize their time that they eventually are going to be in a landfill, right? It's pretty basic stuff.
One way to really kind of green your appliance shopping, is to purchase used. When I was doing research for this podcast, I found some local resources in my area where you can actually get pretty great appliances that are being diverted from the landfill, that are at really good prices and good products too. So you know, if you're in the market for some new appliances, especially if you're kind of more budget conscious, you don't have enough money for the right appliance that you want, at this time, it's a good idea to see if you can find one used whether it's through an appliance recycling center, whether it's through Habitat for Humanity, or maybe at Facebook marketplace, or some sort of second hand store, or online sales, Craigslist, all the things. It's a great idea to see if you can get your appliances used because you're already choosing a greener option instead of buying new.
Now if you already have appliances, you're trying to get rid of them, you can look for different resources in your area, different places where you can recycle it. So another place that you can donate and also shop for us appliances is Habitat for Humanity's Restore. In our area we have a great one. I've gotten some furniture there. I've gotten all sorts of random things at Restore. I really love shopping there because it goes to a good nonprofit and also is minimizing the length of time something is in a landfill or going to the landfill. So it's just a great option for shopping. Often they will do a pickup of your furniture or your appliances. So that's a great resource if you are looking to get rid of an appliance or even furniture and you just don't know where to take it. Often the Habitat For Humanity store which in my area is called the Restore, they will take it
Also, most areas have some sort of recycling center that is focused on appliances. So depending on where you live, I would just Google appliance recycling and see what comes up. Do a little digging to learn a little bit more about the organization that does the recycling to make sure that you're not getting greenwashed in the process.
Again, it's just a reminder that everything we do we can always just make a more green, a more healthy, more toxin free choice for our families, and simply diving down the rabbit hole and thinking about recycling your appliance, or buying a used appliance if you're in the market for a new appliance is a great way to go green.
