What do you do with an old vacuum cleaner? Learn how to properly dispose of a vacuum cleaner easily!
A vacuum cleaner is a device that uses suction and air circulation to clean an area, removing unwanted dust and debris.
Vacuum cleaners use vacuum suction to pick up dust particles or debris from various surfaces by attaching a nozzle to a hose and pipe that has low pressure and a high volume of airflow.
It is easy to use, efficient at removing dirt and dust from your home, and comes in many different styles and price ranges.
When you have an old or broken vacuum cleaner, you need to dispose of it carefully!
You don’t want to cause costly damage to the environment by not disposing of it in the right way.
Learn how to dispose of a vacuum cleaner in a proper path!
Contents
Why do you need to dispose of a vacuum cleaner properly?
1. It will decompose slowly
Vacuum cleaners are made of plastic, metal, rubber, and other non-biodegradable materials. And they don’t break down easily when they’re in the landfill.
All of these materials take a lot of time to decompose and may even end up in landfills for years to come if they’re not recycled or donated.
This applies to any type of vacuum: no matter if it’s a bagless or bagged vacuum cleaner, upright vacuum or canister vacuum cleaner, stick vacuum, or robot vacuum—all these need to be disposed of properly.
2. It harms the environment
A vacuum cleaner can be harmful to the environment if you don’t dispose of it properly.
There are a lot of dangerous materials in these household appliances.
The paint on your old vacuum cleaner contains lead and mercury which can be dangerous on their own, but when combined with other particles, they can become even more dangerous.
When mercury is released into the air, it contaminates soil, water, and food sources. It also affects plant life which in turn can lead to lower productivity.
How to dispose of a vacuum cleaner
1. Take it to the recycling center
Instead of tossing your old vacuum cleaner into the trash, take it to the recycling center. It’s a quick and easy way to dispose of a vacuum cleaner in an environmentally friendly way.
These places are set up specifically to handle old appliances like vacuums and other home electronics.
They’ll have no qualms about taking them off your hands and will even pay you for them.
They’ll also ensure that the things get recycled responsibly.
You don’t have to worry about someone trying to trick you into sending them a broken vacuum cleaner or having to sift through tons of ads on classified sites trying to find the genuine ones.
Everything is handled in a professional manner, and these centers often have multiple locations so they’re always accessible.
You can also take a laptop charger to the recycling center if you want to dispose of it!
2. Send it back to the manufacturer
When you want to get rid of a vacuum cleaner, call up the manufacturer or the seller and ask how to address it.
Many manufacturers have policies in place with local repair shops or charities that will allow you to donate or recycle your old vacuum cleaner, rather than putting it in the trash.
They will send someone to pick it up, or at least tell you how to send it back to them.
Most manufacturers have some sort of recycling program and will use the part of vacuum cleaners for their needs.
Companies truly appreciate it when customers send back their old items because they can learn from past mistakes and make changes accordingly.
Before you dispose of your old vacuum cleaner, contact your local waste authority for information about how to properly dispose of the unit.
Most areas have regulations in place that control the disposal of potentially toxic materials.
The waste authority will tell you how to do this properly so that you don’t cause harm to yourself or anyone else when discarding them.
They will offer you a convenient way to dispose of your old machine.
4. Give it away
When you want to dispose of a vacuum cleaner, just give it away
Donating is not only the best option for taking care of your appliance but also for helping out others who might not have the money to purchase a new machine.
When deciding whether or not to donate your vacuum cleaner, consider the condition of its parts—the hose, filters, and attachments—and how those will fare when they’re used by someone else.
If they’re all in good shape, and the machine itself is still working fine, there’s no reason why someone else shouldn’t be able to put them to good use.
5. Sell it
Another tip to dispose of a vacuum cleaner is by selling it.
Vacuum cleaners are relatively expensive items. You have a good chance that someone who’s looking for this type of appliance and interested in the one you’re getting rid of.
When you want to sell a vacuum cleaner, you can place an ad in the newspaper, on Craigslist, or even on local bulletin boards.
You can also place an ad online and sell your vacuum cleaner via eBay or another similar website.
You can also contact local consignment shops and ask if they have a program for selling used vacuum cleaners.
Selling your vacuum cleaner is a great way to make money that you would not otherwise have received.
What you should not do to dispose of a vacuum cleaner
1. Don’t bury it
When you want to dispose of a vacuum cleaner, never bury it.
It is an environmental hazard to dispose of it in a landfill.
The heavy metals and other contaminants used to make the plastic, motor, and other components are toxic, even if they’re not leaching into groundwater right away.
They will eventually be exposed to air and rain, which will cause them to go airborne and contaminate nearby soil as well.
2. Don’t burn it
Never burn an old vacuum cleaner if you want to get rid of it.
You may believe that disposing of trash in this way is environmentally friendly, but the smoke will just make your property smell like a burning electrical fire and may release dangerous chemicals into the air.
3. Don’t throw it into the trash bin
When you want to dispose of a vacuum cleaner, don’t just throw it into the trash bin. You need to consider the potential hazardous effects on the environment.
When you throw your old vacuum in the trash, it goes to a landfill. And, over time, that landfill will be full.
Conclusion
Vacuum cleaners are used to clean the house or workplace and contain parts which are can be hazardous if not taken care of properly.
You need to dispose of them in a correct manner so that the harmful parts do not harm anyone.
Let me summarize how to dispose of a vacuum cleaner easily
- Take it to the recycling center
- Send it back to the manufacturer
- Contact your local waste authority
- Give it away
- Sell it
If you have an old fiberglass boat, you can read how to get rid of it here.
