Do you know that Americans throw away electronics of around 55 billion dollars each year? What a considerable amount of e-waste it is! Technology is advancing day by day. Everyday new gadgets with new technologies are coming out. And we all get attracted to the new ones. Previous ones seem boring.
The same goes for the coffee maker when you have used it for years, you want to update it. Or maybe a new coffee maker with advanced features just arrived in the market. Maybe it has a faster brewing capacity than the previous one. And now you want to get rid of your older one. You might be thinking to throw away it like most of the Americans are doing. Don’t! There are proper ways to dispose of an old coffee maker.
But how to dispose of a coffee maker without causing any hazard to the environment? Are you confused too? The huge percentage of e-waste is due to the lack of awareness. People don’t even know what could e-waste do to our health and atmosphere, and how to properly dispose of the e-waste.
Best Ways to Dispose of a Coffee Maker:
To make your life easier, we have come up with the best ways to dispose of a coffee maker. These are convenient and safe to apply anywhere. Here are the 5 methods by which you can dispose of a coffee maker without causing damage to the environment.
Hand it to Someone in Need of it:
If your coffee machine is all okay and you just need to update it due to the advanced technology, don’t even think of throwing it. The best way is to donate it.
Maybe someone can’t even afford a coffee maker and really in need of it. And you’re giving it to the landfills instead of that needy person. Pathetic!
You may help a student who is spending half of his pocket money monthly on Starbucks black coffee. Find a student in your family and help him out saving money.
Take it Back to the Manufacturer:
Check your instructions manual and see if the manufacturer takes back the items. If yes, then give them a call and hand it back to the company that manufactured it.
Whatever is the condition of your coffee maker, the company will get a way out of it. Hamilton Beach and Nespresso coffee makers do accept back the old coffee makers. Many companies even have an exchange policy to take back your outdated gadget and replace it with the new one.
Goodwill Stores:
Another good way to donate a coffee maker is, hand it over to the nearby Goodwill store. Most people think that charity stores only accept clothes, shoes, and toys. But they do accept these outdated electronics.
Even if the appliance is not working, they’ll still accept it. They will recycle it and make use of it. So instead of throwing your coffee maker in the dump, donate it.
Make a call to your nearby Goodwill store and ask them about taking coffee makers. If they answer you positively, then don’t forget to take some other reusable items from your house.
Take it Back to the Store where you Bought it:
Take the coffee maker back to the store from where you purchased it. Maybe they’ll take it for exchange or send it to the recycling center. So give them a call and they’ll take it back. But this is only possible if you have purchased it from a local shop. If you have made a purchase from Amazon or any online site, then returning it back is not possible.
Sell them Online:
Selling your gadget is only a good idea if you are planning to update your gadget. The broken or worn-out coffee maker can not be sold again. However, if your gadget is in the right condition, you can sell it out online. You may choose sites like eBay or craigslist to sell old electronics online instead of throwing it in the dump.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What do you do with a broken coffee maker?
You can take a broken coffee maker to a repair shop and get it repaired. And then you can either use it or donate it to the charity shop or someone in need. In case your coffee maker is totally broken and can not be repaired, then take it to the recycling center or back to the manufacturer. They’ll make use out of it by separating the parts and recycling them.
How do I dispose of a broken Keurig coffee maker?
Keurig coffee maker consists of K-cups that can be recycled. To properly dispose of your Keurig coffee maker, remove the aluminum lid, and filter out of it. Then dispose of it. Keurig is planning to manufacture coffee makers fully made up of plastic so that you can throw them in the trash without any worry of disposing of it. You can opt for reusing the same plastic cup as it is BPA free. But keep in mind that reusing the same plastic for years can affect your health badly. It can mimic estrogen and cause cancer cells in the reproductive system.
Final Words:
The problem of e-waste is growing in the global world day by day. But no one has an idea of how dangerous it is for our health and atmosphere as well. First of all, awareness is the most important thing. People should be known to the hazards of e-waste so they could help equally to stop it.
Secondly, there should be more recycling centers to take old electronics like coffee makers. We tried our best to tell you all the possible ways on how to dispose of a coffee maker. Now it’s your time to show your creativity.
