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Did you know you can recycle more than paper, plastic, glass, and cardboard? That’s right! You can recycle beds, fridges, freezers, and ACs, too. So, whether you’re thinking about moving or are simply looking to tidy up your home, this blog should come in handy.
Follow along for all of our best tips on appliance and furniture recycling.
Don’t want your furniture and appliances to end up in a landfill? Don’t worry. There are plenty of ethically sound ways to dispose of unwanted items in your home (beyond empty sauce jars, old mason jars, and moving boxes). Let’s talk about furniture recycling and what you need to know.
Furniture recycling: what can you recycle?
- Futons
- Hide-a-beds
- Mattresses
- Certain couches and chairs
- And more
How do I get rid of furniture?
There are many ways to dispose of furniture. For instance, you can host a garage sale. If it’s summertime, you’re in the peak of moving season, which means that there’s probably a family or college student nearby looking to get pre-owned furniture at an affordable price.
Don’t have time for a garage sale? Consider selling your furniture online on a platform like Facebook Marketplace instead. That can help you rehome your furniture to someone else who could use it during their own move.
Now, if you just want the furniture out, it never hurts to donate. Organizations such as the Furniture Bank, Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity, AMVETs, and Goodwill will find a good home for the furniture so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill.
Of course, if none of those options work for you, you can always take the furniture apart and drive it to a furniture recycling center. (Always call beforehand to see what they accept and if they have any requests for prepping the furniture for recycling.)
What can be the best option for furniture for recycling?
This depends on your goals. Ask yourself:
- Do I want extra cash and have time to spare? If so, selling your furniture will be your best bet.
- Do I want this item out of my house? If so, we recommend donating or recycling the furniture.
- Am I just looking for an environmentally friendly way to get rid of furniture? If so, recycling, selling, and donating your furniture are all great options.
What can you do with scrap furniture?
The same steps apply as above. Instead of tossing your old, unwanted furniture, you can sell it, donate it to a person in need, or recycle it. Another thing you can do is restore it. (This is a great approach for wood furniture, which cannot usually be recycled.)
To restore your furniture, you can check out Pinterest, Facebook groups, and furniture restoration blogs online to get DIY ideas. At the very least, you’ll want to add paint, material, brushes, and stain to your shopping list. Once you’ve restored the furniture, you can sell it (sometimes for a higher price than what you purchased it for).
What can I do with old wooden furniture?
Wood furniture is not easy to recycle. In case you didn’t know, your favorite coffee table and bookshelves have likely been treated, which is not safe for recycling. You can call around to wood recycling companies in your area (if available), restore and sell your wood furniture, donate it, or burn it. That way, it’s safe from landfills but still put to good use (even if that use is firewood).
If there’s still a little life left in that table or shelf, consider finding a different place for it in your home. For instance, that old bench in your kitchen from when your kids were little could be brought outside to the garden. That old end table could be turned into a bedside table, jazzed up with some paint or stain, a nice plant, and a small basket.
How do you recycle appliances and electronics?
Below is what you need to know about recycling appliances and electronic devices:
Appliances
You can recycle large appliances of all types, including freezers, fridges, air conditioners, dishwashers, stoves, washers, and dryers. Just make sure they’re unplugged and not warm before taking them to a recycling plant. (Plan for a couple of hours to a few days, depending on the item.)
The Best Buy recycling program takes care of appliances and electronics for free or for a small fee depending on the item and location. You can also reach out to your local garbage company or recycling company to see if they offer curbside pickup or furniture recycling drop-off. If these options don’t work out, you can return the item to the manufacturer (if it’s an option), sell it, donate it, or give it to a company that works with scrap metal.
Electronics
When it comes to electronics, you can recycle TVs, cell phones, cameras, laptops, iPads, tablets, computers, desktop monitors, and keyboards. To recycle your electronics, remove your data, and wipe your hard drive. Take out any sim cards and batteries, and double-check that there’s no personal information on your devices.
Next, contact the manufacturer to see if they accept returns or will buy the item back from you. (In the case of an old laptop, they might fix and refurbish it to sell down the line.) If that’s not an option, you can donate the item, sell it, or contact Best Buy or an electronic recycling company.
Need help getting furniture, appliances, and electronics out of your home?
Hiring hourly labor movers might be a good solution. You can check out this guide on how to compare moving company quotes and services for insights on how to choose one. Of course you know Bellhop always has you covered! When you hire our labor-only movers, you can pay by the hour for help hauling things outside, moving around your garage, preparing for furniture recycling, and much more.
Find movers near you today.
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