The Green Shed offers an alternative disposal method for your e-waste. If your TV or computer still works or you think someone could fix it or use it for parts please drop it off to us instead of sending it to be destroyed.
Everything with a plug, battery or cable (including loose cables themselves) can be recycled and transformed into anything from children's playgrounds to life saving equipment.
You can search for recyclers in your local area through Planet Ark or call their Recycling Near You hotline: 1300 733 712. 1800ewaste collects and recycles over 95% of old electrical appliances such as televisions, fridges, microwaves, mobile phones, LCDs, plasmas and computers.
Can you put a toaster in a bin? Never put old electricals in your general waste or recycling bins. Like anything with a plug, battery or cable a toaster can be recycled. That means it can be refurbished for reuse or broken down for parts and valuable raw materials.
Take it to a recycling facility. Depending on where you live, they may offer a pickup service. Return it to the manufacturer. Some companies offer to take old TVs back and recycle or refurbish them.
Donate or repurpose your TV
If you've got old TVs sitting around that still work—be them flat-screen or CRT—consider donating them instead. Try calling up your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or even a school or public library, and see if they're in need of a TV.
Household waste and recycling centres have bins for appliances like kettles. Some have an area where you can donate items in good working order to be passed on.
Can I put my old microwave oven in the bin? No. Like anything with a plug, battery or cable, microwaves can and should be recycled. Check out the options for repairing and donating before disposing of yours.
Take them to a dedicated e-waste recycling facility
If there really is no way to reuse or return the item, find a reliable local organisation who will recycle it. There are plenty of places that will take old electronics - you can easily search for one in your area at Recycle Now.
E-waste should not be put in your rubbish or recycling bin. Take e-waste to a drop-off point. To find your closest e-waste drop-off point, use the Recycling Near You directory.
Most charities accept old mobile phones, whether they are working or not. They can raise valuable funds by passing them on to mobile phone recycling companies. Broken mobile phones can be disposed of at most Recycling Centres in the container for small electricals - find you nearest below.
Leaving a traditional kettle in your waste bin will merely endanger the environment. It can take as long as fifty years or even more to disintegrate because it is made of steel. While this happens, it releases some harmful toxins into the environment. Typically, recycling centers accept traditional kettles.
In addition, your general household waste bin isn't for anything hazardous, large, or heavy. In summary, then, these items are often not to be placed in your general waste bin: Recyclables (plastics if they can go in your recycling bin, paper, cardboard, aluminium, glass) Garden waste (such as soil and large branches)
Retailers will take back old cables and leads
And many stores will take your old tech even if you're not buying. This includes all the accessories including plugs, batteries – and yes, cables.
Can I Put An Old Microwave In The Recycling Bin? As we mentioned, your microwave can be recycled at the correct recycling centres; however, you cannot go into your household recycling bin.
Drop it off at the Local Garbage Center or Landfill
Call your local landfill or garbage center and ask how to dispose of the microwave legally. They usually have special dumpsters or bins for electronics and small appliances.
When not in use, turn off and unplug any electrical appliances. This includes TVs, chargers, toasters, kettles and so on. Leaving things running or forgetting to turn off appliances is a big waste of energy and can be avoided so easily.
Leaving water in the kettle after use will encourage limescale to build up, so we recommend you empty the kettle out once you're done if you've got hard water. In fact, to keep it completely scale free, you should rinse and dry the kettle thoroughly each time to prevent any hard water from drying.
What electrical items can be recycled? Almost all electrical items with a plug or a battery can be recycled, including the following: Large household appliances like fridges, freezers, microwaves, dishwashers and washing machines. Smaller household appliances like irons, toasters, kettles and vacuum cleaners.
"Cathode Ray Tube televisions are hard to recycle because of the heavy metals contained in the TV," said Eric Bradford, director of operations at Asheville GreenWorks, the nonprofit environmental organization. "The average CRT television contains nine pounds of lead in the tube of the television.
There are free recycling collection points for old and broken televisions across Australia. Businesses and workplaces with large quantities of televisions to recycle can use the National Television and Computer Recycling Scheme for free.
More common sets, such as the RCA TRK-12, are generally worth $6,000 to about $8,000. The rarer the set, the higher the value. Less common sets, such as the GE HM-185, bring $8,000 and up. Very rare sets can be worth $20,000 or more.