If you are getting rid of your dryer, but are not sure what to do with it, have you considered recycling it? Are you not quite sure about the options available when recycling a dryer? If you are finding yourself in a situation like this, this article can help you find some answers!
To recycle a dryer, recycle various parts of the dryer, donate it to a local charity, upcycle it to function another way, or call the local municipal recycling center to come to pick it up. Recycling options in some areas may be limited, so recycling just the metal may be the best option.
To learn more about each one of these recycling options, keep reading! Let’s go over the details more closely.
Recycling Parts
In most cases when you are recycling anything, including a dryer, the benefit is that you can take it apart and gather each tiny piece individually. For example, using the nuts and bolts that are holding various parts of the dryer together can be donated separately aside from the remainder of the dryer. Or if you don’t have a donation center that will accept used nuts and bolts, then you can save them to use for a future project or set up a new appliance later on instead of purchasing new ones at the hardware store.
Now that your dryer has had all the nuts and bolts removed, you essentially are left with varying sizes of sheet metal. There are centers that will accept donations of sheet metal or you can take it and oftentimes will pay you for it. If you don’t have a center like that in your local area, you can take it to the dump and they will take care of it from there. If you want to repurpose it, you can turn it into a modern coffee table top or paint it to create your very own unique piece of decorative wall art.
Donate
If your dryer is still in good condition and works somewhat well, you may consider donating it to a local donation center. This is a great option if you are concerned about the environment and want to dispose of it another way than just throwing it out. There is a good chance that there are some local donation centers in your respective area and they usually have posted online what appliances they accept and what they don’t. If you were to schedule an appointment and let them know you would like to drop off and donate a dryer, they should be able to help you do that.
It is also important to note that most donation centers do not accept dryers that are completely non-functioning. They usually take dryers that aren’t the highest functioning, but if your dryer is not functioning at all, then it may be a better option to either upcycle it or call the local municipal recycling office and have them come pick it up.
Other donation centers that are located throughout the country with multiple locations that you could look into are Habitat For Humanity ReStore, Salvation Army, and Goodwill Industries. Local churches are also a resource that may be willing to take used appliances like a dryer to give to less fortunate families, you would just have to call and ask.
Upcycle
If you are more of a creative person and want to turn your old dryer into a fun DIY project, there are so many different ways to do that! A lot of people actually prefer upcycling to donating to be able to have the satisfaction of taking something and turning it into another.
One idea that you could turn your dryer into is an outdoor fire pit. You could either dig a hole in the ground and place it in there to make it level with the ground or you could place it up on some cinderblocks to raise it up if you would prefer. The dryer bowl is the perfect container to emit the heat from the fire and also vents to keep enough oxygen flowing to feed the fire sufficiently.
Another idea is to create a unique pot to grow flowers in. You can fill the dryer full of dirt and have a deep space for the flowers to root and grow. The nice thing about using a dryer is that you can make it look however you want with designs using paint or other tools.
The next idea is to turn the dryer into your newest piece of patio furniture. By placing some plywood on top, you could create a seat to live on your patio or even inside your home if you would like. You could leave the plywood as it is or you could also get some filling and fabric from the store and create a cushion to put on top if you would like a more comfortable top for your new dryer seat.
Call The Municipal Recycling Center
Most every city has a local municipal recycling center or in a neighboring city so it shouldn’t be too hard to find one. Even if it is a little more work to find one close to you, it will well be worth it for as simple as this process is. Although the municipal recycling center will come to your home to pick up and household trash you have to get rid of, they will not accept any appliances, especially large ones such as a dryer. There is also a risk if you were to leave that dryer on the street for them to pick up, there would be a fine from the city.
Even though they won’t come to pick up the dryer from your house, that doesn’t mean that they don’t accept them. Most centers are happy to take any and all appliances that people are trying to get rid of. That being said, they do require that you bring the appliance to them but the benefit is that it is free to do that. Once you have dropped off the dryer, it is now in their possession and you are free of it and don’t have to worry about it anymore.
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