Help the Environment by Recycling Your Microwave Oven

So, you’ve remodeled your kitchen and replaced your fifteen-year-old microwave with a newer, sleeker, prettier version. Before you throw out that old hunk of metal, why not consider recycling it, instead? Dumping your old microwave into a trash heap doesn’t do anyone any good. It will just clutter up landfills, and it certainly won’t decompose over any length of time. Here are some options to help you recycle that home appliance.

If your microwave still works, you might want to donate it to a charity or a specific organization. Sometimes churches, religious organizations, and childcare centers will be able to use an extra microwave or two for their kitchens. They may also know of low-income families who need a new one but can’t afford it.

If you don’t know of somewhere specific to put your microwave, take it to the local Goodwill. As long as it works, someone who really needs a microwave will buy it, which will raise money for the charity that the Goodwill supports.

What if the microwave isn’t working? Well, you have a couple of different options. Sometimes appliance repair shops will take them, repair them, and resell them. However, don’t expect to make any money from this, as new microwave ovens are cheap nowadays and the market for used ovens is small. Your local Goodwill might also take one that isn’t working, repair it, and sell it.

Another option for a microwave that isn’t working is to recycle it into scrap metal. The microwave is mostly metal, so you can take it to a special recycling facility and make a few dollars that way. The plastic cover isn’t recyclable, but the facility will be able to take care of that for you. The rest of the metal will be run through a special shredder machine, and it will be used to make other products in the future.