White goods include major household electronic appliances such as fridges, electric fans microwaves, washing machines, clothes dryers, air conditioners, water heaters, ovens and stoves.
When disposing of your old and broken electrical goods, the safest and the most responsible way to do it is by recycling. These items are composed of a huge variety of materials with most of such materials capable for reuse.
Recycling also allows you to do your share in helping the environment. When you recycle, you help in preventing waste from entering landfills which can cause hazardous contamination to the soil and water. Reuse options for an oven or cooktop are limited and probably only good environmentally if it is in good working order (no leaks, oven well insulated).
You can sell or give away your unit on online forums (or you can try your council’s tip shop. Most charity shops are unable to take cooktops/ovens due to safety regulations.
There are good recycling options, however, to recover the metal content of many types of household appliances. Recycling your unwanted white goods can help recover valuable materials such as metal and plastic as well as other non-renewable resources. This creates a closed loop in the economy and gives these materials a new lease on life. Proper disposal and recycling also keep toxic substances such as refrigerants and flame-retardants from entering the environment.
If appliances are working or repairable, you can sell them, donate them to charity or give them away. If they need to be thrown away, do not leave your home appliances by the kerbside. Contact your local council for bulk hard waste collection or find the nearest transfer station that accepts these materials.
White goods can be repaired or disassembled to recover recyclable materials. Materials that can’t be recycled will then be disposed of sustainably. Safely recycling white goods involves firstly removing any hazardous materials such as heavy metals, chemicals or gases from the appliance. Metal from white goods can be recycled repeatedly to make new products. During recycling, white goods are crushed and shredded for recycling. Copper, steel and plastics are recovered and reprocessed into new metal and plastic products.
Some businesses allow homes, businesses and schools to book a recycling service for most unwanted or end of life appliances – big or small – all year round. Other retailers such as The Good Guys, Harvey Norman, JB Hi-Fi, Bing Lee, Dick Smith, and Appliances Online have appliance removal services who each have different requirements, but most will deliver a new appliance and take your old one away at the same time.
