Perhaps your microwave just stopped working. Or perhaps you’re remodeling your entire kitchen. Perhaps you still have the outdated microwave from your dorm room college and you’d prefer to upgrade.

Are you curious about microwave disposal?

The simplest way to get rid of an old microwave is to throw it in with your regular trash and give it to the waste collectors.

Here are five methods to dispose of your old microwave:

How to Dispose of a Microwave

E-waste Recyclers

You should try to recycle your microwave using an e-waste recycler. These businesses frequently collect e-waste from business clients. If there aren’t any pickup-only e-waste recyclers nearby, you can call to find the closest drop-off location.

Also Read: How Does A Microwave Oven Work – Complete Guide to Use It in 2023

Other Recycling Services

Unpublicized e-waste drop-off locations may be available from your regular garbage collector. For more information, speak to your trash collection service. Similar to this, nearby recyclers might also have e-waste drop-off locations where you can securely get rid of your microwave.

Many communities hold cleanup days that allow residents to drop off their e-waste during a specific period. These could occur on a monthly or annual basis. Events can last anywhere from a single weekend to a month or longer. Watch for these things to happen. They frequently receive publicity on neighborhood websites or in smaller newspapers. You can also get in touch with your city or county government to inquire about any upcoming events for disposing of household hazardous waste.

Back Programs Or Incentives

To find out if there is a take-back program, get in touch with the manufacturer of the microwave. Some producers will use some of the components from your damaged microwave to make new ones. Recycling done correctly!

If you are purchasing a new microwave, ask the retailer if they offer a “trade-in” incentive for your old microwave. This approach is a true win-win situation, but it can be difficult to locate.

Retail Drop-Offs

E-waste drop-off boxes can be found outside some big-box retailers’ stores. Before availing yourself of this option, be sure to call the store first to confirm that they will accept microwaves as part of their drop-off program. Some merchants will only take small electronic waste, such as cords, cellphones, tablets, etc. and do not take larger items like a microwave.

Appliance Repair Shops

Look around your neighborhood for repair shops for appliances that will take the microwave off your hands. They will either fix it and sell it or use the parts to upgrade other microwaves. A few phone calls and some extra effort are needed for this approach.

Microwave disposal is simpler if there is still some life in your microwave. Clean the appliance thoroughly and drop it off at your local Goodwill or similar thrift store. Or you could give it to a student going off to college, list it on Craigslist, or give it away for free. While getting rid of your unwanted microwave, you will be doing good.

What Are Microwaves Made Of?

A microwave oven’s outer enclosure is typically made of one solid piece of metal that wraps around the appliance. Typically, acrylic enamel is applied to stainless steel interior panels and doors. These metallic walls reflect radiation back into the food area.

But the microwave’s electromechanical parts are inside. These consist of switches and motors, for example. Additionally, a magnetron tube is used to control radiation levels in order to cook food.

Microwaves and Radiation

In order to heat the food, the radiation produced in the magnetron passes through a stirrer fan and a wave guide device that are both placed wherever the food is. These are all made of metal, and the hardware connecting each component is typically made up of a combination of metal and plastic pulleys, gears, nuts, and screws.

Be wary of this. Used microwaves leak radiation, making it hazardous waste after a point. Because of this, properly disposing of microwaves can be challenging.

Microwaves and Hazardous Waste

Microwaves are classified as electronic waste by some recycling companies. According to the EPA, this is a term used to describe “electronics that are nearing the end of their usual life, and are discarded, donated or given to a recycler.”

E-waste contains toxic substances, and therefore must be taken to an e-waste recycling center to ensure proper disposal. Only 20% of this waste, however, is correctly documented, collected, and recycled, according to Statista.

Microwaves and other appliances cannot be placed with household trash at a local disposal facility. The dangers posed by the appliance parts, as previously mentioned, are the main cause of this. Programs for recycling appliances like microwaves will be impacted by the laws in each locality.

Why Should Microwaves Be Disposed of Safely?

Electronic waste, or e-waste, contains toxins that are damaging to the environment as well as our human bodies. It is also produced in quantities of about 40 million metric tons annually, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

Our atmosphere is harmed by electronic waste, which is one of its biggest environmental effects. E-waste that is not properly disposed of—instead being shredded, melted, or burned—releases dust particles and other toxins into the air, harming our respiratory health and causing pollution.

Additionally, heavy materials and flammables can seep into the nearby soil and contaminate the groundwater if electronic waste is illegally dumped in landfills or other locations.

Final Caution on Microwave Removal

Let’s end on one last word of warning regarding microwave removal. Of course, it would be simpler to simply throw your broken microwave in the regular trash and move on. However, doing so is putting not only your own life, but also those of others, at risk.

To avoid a guilty conscious, or worse – a bit of legal trouble – make sure you take the time and care to dispose of your microwave properly. You can get rid of your outdated microwave while also helping to combat toxic e-waste with a little bit of extra effort.

Start your research right away! It’s much simpler than you might imagine, we assure you.

FAQs