Okay, there will be some things that you just can't fix—or don't want to pay to have fixed, or that will cost too much to fix. For example, if the repair on a small appliance approaches 50% of the cost of a replacement appliance, consider purchasing a new item weighed against the environmental impact of throwing the old item in the trash.
How can you get rid of any thing you don't fix? Many things can be reused or recycled, depending on what they are, their value to others, and how easy it is to get them to the people who want them.
Because recycling is subject to local interpretation and budgets, you may find that recycling things and parts may be quite easy or relatively difficult depending on where you live. The best place to learn about recycling is to call whatever company picks up your trash. If you're rural and must take trash and recycling to a landfill, transfer station, or recycle center, contact them to find out what they can use and what they can't, and whether there is a charge.
For example, many communities have curbside pickup for trash and recycling. The recycled things may be collected in a single bin or need to be sorted by type: metals, plastics, papers, and yard waste. Some communities have curbside recycling for small and major appliances while other's don't. And in some towns, there are private recyclers that will pick up just about any recyclable materials you put at the curb on a specified day.
Most major appliances are about 75 percent steel—and about a third of that is recycled steel. Other metals in appliances include copper, aluminum, and zinc, all recyclable. Refrigerators, freezers, ranges, ovens, cook tops, clothes washers, dryers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, room air conditioners, trash compactors.
Refrigeration appliances may require specialized recyclers to remove the freon gas before recycling. That's why some recyclers and landfills charge a fee for accepting these appliances. Others charge a fee for any large objects that they accept.
You also can find local recyclers in your local telephone book under headings like Recycle Centers and Scrap Metals. Many will pay you for aluminum cans, clear glass, PET plastics, and non-ferrous (non-iron) metals. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a plastic resin used in many products—and easily recycled into new products.
What if the recycler won't take it? Who will?
In years past, organizations like the Salvation Army, Goodwill, and St. Vincent de Paul took non-working items as donations. The items were rehabilitated along with the people who fixed them. Broken things created jobs. However, the labor market has absorbed these workers into the mainstream, providing jobs in restaurants, retail stores, and factories. So, today, most of these organizations don't accept non-working items (except computers). In fact, such "donations" actually cost the group money because they have to dispose of the item. Goodwill Industries, for example, asks that donations be of "things you would give to a friend."
Another option is to recycle broken things to repair shops. For example, small appliance repair shops may accept non-working items and reuse the parts. Or they may refurbish and resell items. Most won't pay you anything for the broken things—there's just not enough profit in it—but they may bring it back to working condition and save someone some money. And you won't have to pay to put it in the landfill.
If you learn to enjoy fixing things, donate something that breaks to your education. That is, put it on the workbench for a rainy day and disassemble it to figure out how it works. You may even be able to salvage and reuse an otherwise good motor, heat element, or switches. You'll be a member-in-good-standing of the Fix-It Club!
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