Buying a new dishwasher or refrigerator can be a much-needed update to your kitchen, but every new purchase usually means that there is an older, possibly broken appliance that you need to get rid of.  Unfortunately, old appliances take up a lot of space in a landfill.  Throwing out your old appliance can do a lot of harm to the environment.

Fortunately, there are better ways to get rid of your old appliance.  Try these ideas out.

1. Advertise the appliance as free.  Many local repair shops look for old appliances because they can reuse the parts that work.  This keeps the majority of the old appliance out of the landfill, and it can help others who need to have their old appliances fixed rather than buy a new one.  Best of all, most will pick them up for free.
2. Call your local recycling center. Appliances use a lot of high-value metals, making them good for scrap even if they’re broken beyond repair.  The problem is that the old appliances have to be broken down into their component materials before they can be recycled.  Because this is labor intensive, not all recycling centers will take old appliances, but many know someone who will strip out the components for extra money.
3. Look for recycling drives.  Occasionally, local appliance stores or government programs will run specials that allow consumers to get a credit for turning in old appliances.  These programs usually are advertised in local newspapers, but ask about them when buying your new appliance.  Often a sales rep will know when the next recycling drive will be held.

After replacing your old appliance with a new one, remember to update your insurance policy.  Call the agents at  NY Twin Bridges Insurance Agency to help you with this.