The Ultimate Guide To Recycling Kitchen Appliances

Kitchen appliances were created to make our lives easier. Imagine life without a fridge or oven, or the endless hours of hand-washing dishes when you don't have a dishwasher. With our trusted kitchen appliances being an essential part of daily life, have you ever thought about what happens when one breaks down and needs to be disposed of? We can throw a toaster out with the garbage, but what about that side-by-side fridge? And what happens to your appliances after you've dumped them?

Aside from the hassle of discarding kitchen appliances, improper disposal can threaten our environmental well-being. Did you know that in 2020, we produced 50 million tons of electronic waste (e-waste) globally, which included kitchen appliances. With such vast quantities of electronic waste being produced, recycling kitchen appliances has never been more important. Proper appliance disposal helps reduce waste in landfills, conserves natural resources by reusing valuable natural materials, and reduces water pollution by stopping dangerous materials from entering our waterways. 

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends replacing your refrigerator after twelve years, and replacing yours with an energy-efficient model can save you money in the long run. If you are running old appliances at home, the EPA states that replacing your old appliances with Energy Star products may save up to $450 yearly on bills in the average household. In addition, you can make a little money to buy that new, energy-efficient refrigerator using some of the many appliance recycling cash back schemes available nationwide. We asked experts Samantha Spheen, Controller and Chief Home Officer of Clean Cult, and Jessica Petrino, Educator and Appliance Expert at AJ Madison, for their advice about how, why, and where to recycle kitchen appliances.

Sometimes, we just want an upgrade. That ice blue KitchenAid Mixer would suit your new kitchen decor much better than the old one, and a six-slot toaster is a necessity when you have kids. If your kitchen appliances are in good working order, why not donate them once you get something new?

The first port of call should always be family and friends. Everyone loves a freebie. If there are no takers in your immediate circle, you could consider searching further afield by checking out some gifting communities. The Buy Nothing Project is one such community that uses local connections to find new homes for old appliances. Simply head over to the web page, list your items, and wait for the requests to roll in. If you search gifting communities on Facebook, you should find several pages that allow you to "gift" unwanted kitchen appliances within your local area.

Charities are always looking for donations. Consider taking small kitchen appliances to Goodwill, Salvation Army, or Habitat for Humanity ReStore. These charities tend to take appliances like irons, kettles, and coffee makers, but are often unable to carry larger items like refrigerators, ovens, stoves, or dishwashers.

Jessica Petrino says, "If your appliance still works, look into donation options like ReStore, Community Fridge Groups, or nonprofits such as Aurora Circulatory Inc., which may offer tax benefits." Gifting kitchen appliances has many benefits — it keeps useful items out of landfills, ensures that they continue to serve a purpose, and fulfills an act of kindness. Even passing a toaster along to a friend can be a simple, meaningful gesture of goodwill.

Earn cash and let your appliance continue to work for you. EBay is one of the best places to sell small kitchen appliances, with items like blenders, countertop mixers, and air fryers being especially popular. As eBay operates all over the United States, your audience is huge, which is particularly useful when selling niche items. 

Per Statista, a 2022 study showed Facebook Marketplace coming in second behind eBay as America's most popular second-hand marketplace site. The internet behemoth has billions of users every month, and a lot of these people are buying kitchen appliances via its Marketplace feature. OfferUp came in as the third most popular secondhand sales site. OfferUp is available all throughout the U.S., but it puts a heavy emphasis on connecting local communities, which is useful when looking to sell items locally. Craigslist is another useful sales platform. EBay charges a small fee, but Offerup, Facebook Marketplace, and Craigslist let you list your items for free. Each of these platforms is incredibly easy to use — you need to do little more than post your item with a description, price, and photos.

Jessica Petrino advises preparing your appliances before selling them: "[M]ake sure appliances are fully disconnected and uninstalled ... take out removable accessories or anything you want to keep — like egg trays or custom grill pans. For electronics, remove any batteries if applicable."

With appliances having such a big effect on the environment, we were curious whether manufacturers are legally responsible for the end-of-life recycling of their products. We asked Samantha Spheen, who told us, "[M]ore companies are adopting extended producer responsibility policies — which means they help manage the end-of-life recycling of their products." For example, Best Buy offers a haul-away service for bigger appliances like refrigerators, ovens, dishwashers, and freezers. Best Buy will also recycle pod coffee machines, fans, and vacuums for free; however, the company does not accept many small appliances. 

Jennifer Petrino suggests heading to the EnergyStar website. The website is a huge source of information. Not only will it list rebate or recycling programs for your kitchen appliances, but it will also educate visitors on how recycling their appliances may save them money and keep them up to date on new energy-saving products. Petrino also advises looking up your local utility provider, which may offer pickup and certain recycling perks. When buying a new appliance, always ask the retailer if they offer a haul-away and/or recycling service. 

We asked Samantha Spheen why recycling your kitchen appliances is so important. She said, "Small appliances can carry environmental weight. Items with lithium batteries or insulation materials can be especially harmful if dumped." She goes on to say that "[E]ven a toaster counts, [and] when recycled properly, you're saving energy and reducing emissions compared to producing those same materials from scratch."

There are numerous factors to consider when recycling appliances. Some items may have traces of arsenic, cadmium, and lead, all of which are harmful pollutants to the environment. Additionally, items that aren't recycled go straight into the landfill, wasting precious resources. Spheen says, "The materials in appliances — like metals, plastics, and circuit boards — are separated at specialized facilities. Metals are often melted down and reused, while plastics can be reprocessed into new products. Recycling prevents these materials from ending up in landfills, where they can leak pollutants or take decades to break down."

The federal government doesn't have one single waste disposal department; instead, it partners with a consortium of different state-run departments. Try calling your local sanitation department, which should be able to direct you to the appropriate recycling centers for your item. They may also be able to pick up and recycle your appliance for you.

The U.S. government works with energy suppliers to promote good kitchen appliance recycling practices. PSE&G, DTE Energy, and Consumers Energy offer financial incentives for old appliances, and they'll pick them up for you. In addition, the Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency support many state-run rebate programs for recycling kitchen appliances through the Responsible Appliance Disposal program, which we'll talk about next.

Such is the importance of recycling your appliances that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program, with the specific goal of protecting the ozone layer, cutting greenhouse gas emissions, and benefiting local communities. Jessica Petrino shares, "The EPA reports that annually, around nine million refrigerators/freezers and millions of other appliances are discarded. In 2018, only 3.1 million tons of ferrous metals were recovered from large appliances, while 2.1 million tons ended up in landfills. Small appliances fare worse, with only about 5.6% recycled. This leads to significant waste and the release of harmful materials into the environment. Improper disposal also wastes valuable resources that could otherwise be reused." 

The EPA addresses this problem by partnering with manufacturers and organizations offering large appliance recycling programs. RAD partners separate and sort appliance elements, destroying harmful materials, recycling valuable materials, and disposing of unusable elements responsibly. The RAD doesn't have partners in every state – to find out if there is an RAD partner near you, head to the website and use the locator to find your closest program. In most cases, your RAD partner will pick up your old appliances (currently limited to those containing refrigerants, like fridges, freezers, and air conditioning units) and recycle them safely. Some RAD partners also offer a financial incentive. The RAD goes beyond just picking up your appliances; it also works to educate the public on the proper disposal of appliances. So if you are ever in a quandary about what to do with your appliance, the RAD website should be your first port of call.

Take advantage of Earth911's Recycling database, which operates similarly to RAD's Partner program. Earth911 has created a searchable database to help you responsibly dispose of your kitchen appliance. Hit up Earth911's website and search for the locator tool. Then, type in your appliance details, and the tool will tell you where to take it and how to prep it for recycling.

While the most helpful part of the database is the easy functionality and convenience of the recycling locator, the Earth911 website goes deeper than that, with a wealth of information that explains what materials are in your products and how and why they should be recycled in a specific way. You can check out podcasts, get ideas for responsibly using and disposing of many items in your home, or explore the emerging EcoTech market. 

EcoTech, short for ecosystem technology, is a rapidly growing area of technologies and innovations specifically designed to promote environmental sustainability. When asked about some advancements in this space, Jessica Petrino said, "Emerging technologies in appliance recycling include advanced sorting systems that use AI and robotics to better separate materials. Some facilities now use cryogenic freezing or laser-based methods to extract rare earth metals from electronics ... These innovations are making the process cleaner, safer, and more efficient." Earth911 aims to educate consumers holistically, not only providing you with the tools to recycle but also giving you an understanding of where recycled products go, and how technologies are working to create a cleaner environment for all of us. 

The best way to reduce kitchen appliance waste is to refrain from buying kitchen appliances you don't really need. Consumerism is an addiction. Americans spend $1.2 trillion annually on nonessential goods, and a recent report states that we spent $68.24 billion globally on kitchenware in 2024. Many will be single-use appliances like donut makers, popcorn makers, or hot dog toasters. So, to reduce kitchen appliance waste and save money, think hard about how much you need the latest must-have kitchen gadget.

If you've determined that your items are essential, then the old saying "pay cheap, pay twice" is particularly applicable. Kitchen appliances are an area where it's worth investing in better products. High-quality products are likely to last longer, saving you money in the long run and reducing the amount of appliances going to landfills.

Consider looking at appliance lending libraries if you need an item for a one-off or short-term period. Tool lending libraries do just that: They lend people tools, and many are now expanding to include kitchen appliances. Tools are pooled in a central location and lent to subscribers for a small fee or sometimes a voluntary donation. Head to LocalTools.org to see if there is a tool lending library in your area. 

The cost of responsibly and ethically recycling kitchen appliances in the U.S. varies. While there are many ways to recycle for free or even get paid to dispose of your appliances, there are often costs attached. Let's break it down.

Disposing of an average large appliance like a freezer/fridge at landfills costs $35- $65, or $70-$150 if you hire a professional. Companies like Junk King will pick up and dispose of your appliance, which is particularly helpful for large items like fridges or ovens. The average cost for disposal at Junk King is between $30 and $80 (depending on where you live). Load Up is another haul-away service that will responsibly dispose of your kitchen appliances. Its prices start at $87 for a refrigerator removal in our area. Best Buy offers a free appliance haul-away service if you purchase a product from them, but did you know that they also provide an appliance removal service even if you aren't buying from them? Best Buy quotes $199 for removing two large kitchen appliances.

If you do it right, some companies will pay you $10 to $150 to dispose of your appliance. Take PSE&G, which offers up to $100 for qualifying working appliances; Pepco, who give will Maryland customers $25 for working appliances (or there's a limited time offer up to $50 right now); or DTE Energy will pay SE Michigan-based locals $50 for an appliance, pick it up, and dispose of it.