Vacuum cleaners, pretty much every house hold has one. They efficiently keep your home free of any mess with ease. They're great at sucking up rubbish, but what if your vacuum cleaner becomes rubbish? Here you can find out the best way to dispose of your unwanted vacuum.
Vacuum cleaners are big business. Tens of millions are sold every year in America alone, amounting to billions of dollars in sales.
Not a day goes by without a company trying to sell you the latest vacuuming technology. There are so many to choose from, like ones that suck up dry or wet mess. Some are corded and others cordless. You can use an upright or hand held. And some even robotically do the vacuuming for you.
As the saying goes, they just don't make them like they used to. The newer models just aren't made to last. The life expectancy of a vacuum cleaner can be from 5 up to 10 years, depending on your usage and the quality. With it not always being the more expensive brands that last the longest.
If you are someone that loves all the newest tech. Then you many not even wait until your old vacuum dies; before going to get the most up to date shiny new model.
So let's talk about what you can do with your unwanted vacuum cleaner.
What can you do with an old vacuum cleaner?
Depending on its condition you could -
- Donate it to a local shelter or charity.
- Sell it online or at a car boot or yard sale.
- Offer it up to friends and family members, or to someone in need.
- Break it down for parts.
- Recycle at the store you purchase the new one.
- Take it to your local recycling centre.
- Look for E-waste recyclers online.
What to do with an old vacuum that still works?
If you've got a vacuum cleaner that you no longer want, but is still in perfectly good working order. There are plenty of options as to what you can do with it.
Charities shops will be happy to take it off your hands. However they will only take fully operational vacuums that are in good condition, as they will be looking to sell them on.
Ask a family member or friend if they could make use of it. Or maybe you know someone that is struggling at the moment. A lot of people have fallen on hard times. And forking out for a brand new Vacuum cleaner may be out of reach. Offering it up to someone in need is a great way to recycle your unwanted Vacuum.
You may want to make a bit of cash to put towards your new one; so why not list it for sale online. There are lots of places enabling you to sell unwanted products. Some platforms like Facebook Market Place and Gumtree will let you do this for free. Whereas, others like Ebay charge a small fee.
What to do with a broken vacuum cleaner?
If your vacuum cleaner is no longer up for the job and it's time to get rid. You have a few options to dispose of it sustainably.
Firstly, do not just chuck it in your general waste. Electrical items should never be discarded in this way. Most of a vacuum's components are not biodegradable. It will therefore then just sit in land fill for years to come. Or worse be burnt, releasing toxic chemicals into the atmosphere.
To do your bit for the environment, get recycling. There are plenty of ways to recycle your old broken vacuum.
Take it to your nearest recycling centre. They should be able to take your vacuum cleaner as is, then they'll do the rest. However, do check with them first.
Alternatively try an online E-waste recycling company. They are becoming more popular, with the ever increasing electrical waste we dispose of.
If you can't find anywhere local that will take it as a whole unit; you can break it down into parts. You may even want to keep a few bits for yourself. The detachable pierces are sometimes universal within the same brand. So you could hold onto those as additions to your new Vacuum.
When dismantling your vacuum, it is likely to be made up of plastics and metals. These can both be recycled. So once separated, take them down to your local recycling centre.
Lastly, you may be able to recycle it with the company in which you purchase your next vacuum cleaner. Companies want to do their bit for the environment so offer a recycling service when making a purchase. Some even offer inventive like vouchers or money off your new item.
Recycling a vacuum cleaner
Always opt to recycle your vacuum cleaner as there are so many different options to do so and really simple to do. Whether it is, offering it up to a friend, or taking it to a recycling centre. It will be given a second life; which is a great sustainable way of disposing of your old Vacuum cleaner.
