December 2014 Residential Communications Resources
Topic: Small Appliances
___________________________________________________________
TITLE: How to Extend the Life of a Small Appliance
TEASER: Repair, reuse and recycle small appliances to extend their useful
lives.
BLOG/ARTICLE
We always talk about waste management’s three Rs: reduce, reuse and
recycle. For small appliances, such as blenders, coffee makers, toasters, and
curling irons, let’s add a fourth R: repair.
Repair Tips
Small appliances that are not working often need minor repairs or parts
replaced. Consider troubleshooting and repair options before getting rid of
broken appliances.
Some communities offer fix-it clinics. Repairable small appliances include
lamps, fans, flashlights, blenders, sewing machines, hair dryers, and more.
At the clinics, residents receive free, guided help from volunteers with repair
skills to disassemble, troubleshoot and fix their items.
Fix-it clinics teach valuable troubleshooting and basic repair skills. They also
build community connections and reduce the number of repairable objects
that are thrown in the trash. Check with your city or county recycling
coordinator to find out where the nearest fix-it clinic may be.
Many businesses in the Twin Cities repair lamps and other small appliances.
An online search will point you in the right direction.
Reduce, Reuse
Before you buy a new small appliance, try shopping at consignment and
second-hand shops. You also can try online resale outlets like Craigslist.
These materials were provided by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) as a
part of its Rethink Recycling outreach efforts. Please help us track the use of Rethink Recycling
materials by sending an e-mail to Info@RethinkRecycling.com with a description of how the
materials were used, the date(s) published, and the estimated reach.
If you have a small appliance in good working condition that you no longer
need, contact a local charity to ask about donating it. For a list, refer to the
yellow pages under "charities."
Also consider online resale sites for reselling working appliances.
Recycle
The Recycling Zone in Eagan accepts small appliances for free from Twin
Cities residents. Green Lights Recycling in Blaine accepts items for a small
fee.
Most locations that recycle major appliances, such as refrigerators, ovens,
washers and dryers, will not accept small appliances. Please call for
information about acceptable items.
If you are purchasing a new small appliance, ask the retailer if they will
recycle your old appliance. Best Buy accepts many appliances at no charge,
not including small kitchen appliances, no matter where they were
purchased. Hair dryers and curling items are examples of personal care
items accepted. See BestBuy.com for details.
Disposal
Contact your trash service provider to confirm which items can be placed in
the trash. If the small appliance is cordless, remove and recycle the
batteries before placing the appliance in the trash. Rechargeable batteries
may contain hazardous or rare metals. If improperly disposed, they can
pollute our air, land and water. Rechargeable batteries can be recovered and
recycled to make new products. Bring rechargeable batteries to most
hardware stores. Some county household hazardous waste drop-off sites
accept rechargeable batteries; check with your county.
For more information on managing appliances, visit
www.RethinkRecycling.com.
(See next page for social media)
These materials were provided by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) as a
part of its Rethink Recycling outreach efforts. Please help us track the use of Rethink Recycling
materials by sending an e-mail to Info@RethinkRecycling.com with a description of how the
materials were used, the date(s) published, and the estimated reach.
December Social Media
FACEBOOK
Blog related posts
1) New blog at RethinkRecycling.com—how to extend the life of small appliances.
Get tips on repairing, reusing and recycling things around the house and office.
(Link to blog)
2) Did you know Best Buy recently reached a milestone of recycling 1 billion
pounds of electronics and appliances? See a congratulatory letter from Ramsey
County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, chair of the Solid Waste Management
Coordinating Board. (http://focus.mnsun.com/2014/10/04/letter-best-buysrecycling-program-helps-environment-taxpayers/)
3) Get free help repairing broken household items! Keep an eye out for Fix-It
Clinics in Hennepin County. (Link to http://www.hennepin.us/fixitclinic)
4) Craigslist.org is one idea for finding a new home for a small appliance. See other
ideas in our monthly blog. (Link to blog)
5) What’s the most unusual small appliance you’ve ever fixed or bought
secondhand?
6) Best Buy recycles several appliances, even if they weren’t purchased at Best
Buy. Get the details. (link to http://www.bestbuy.com/site/globalpromotions/recyclefaqs/pcmcat174700050009.c?id=pcmcat174700050009&type=category&id=pc
mcat174700050009)
Sub-topics for December: No waste holiday, lights recycling
7) Incorporate a little “green” into your holiday shopping. Bring reusable tote bags
to more than just the grocery store. (Link to
http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/reduce-waste-duringholidays)
8) Sometimes our most cherished gifts are time, love and energy. What’s the most
cherished, no-waste holiday gift you’ve ever received? Get some ideas for this
year in our holiday guide.
(http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/reduce-waste-duringholidays)
9) Who loves to get creative with their present wrapping? No-waste ideas include
reusable containers, children’s artwork, fabric, bows made from natural
evergreens. What else?
10) Did you know about 40% of all battery sales occur during the holidays? This
year, think rechargeable.
These materials were provided by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) as a
part of its Rethink Recycling outreach efforts. Please help us track the use of Rethink Recycling
materials by sending an e-mail to Info@RethinkRecycling.com with a description of how the
materials were used, the date(s) published, and the estimated reach.
11) In Minnesota it’s illegal to put your Christmas tree and wreaths in the trash.
We’ve got recycling ideas for you.
(http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/materials-name/christmas-treesholiday-decorations)
12) Holiday lights don't work? Recycle them--just not in your curbside recycling
cart! Visit recycleminnesota.org for the drop-off locations near you.
(http://www.recycleminnesota.org/programs/recycle-your-holidays)
13) Recycle Your Holidays™ is a one-of-a-kind statewide holiday light recycling
program in Minnesota created and managed by the Recycling Association of
Minnesota. Drop off unwanted light strings at any of their 450+ participating
locations during the holiday season starting November 15 through the end of
January each year. Some locations are year round.
(http://www.recycleminnesota.org/programs/recycle-your-holidays)
TWITTER
Blog related tweets
1) New blog at RethinkRecycling.com—how to extend the life of small appliances.
(Link to blog)
2) Did you know Best Buy recently reached a milestone of recycling 1 billion
pounds of electronics and appliances?
(http://focus.mnsun.com/2014/10/04/letter-best-buys-recycling-programhelps-environment-taxpayers/)
3) Get free help repairing broken household items! Keep an eye out for Fix-It
Clinics in Hennepin County. (Link to http://www.hennepin.us/fixitclinic)
4) Craigslist.org is one idea for finding a new home for a small appliance. See other
ideas in our monthly blog. (Link to blog)
5) What’s the most unusual small appliance you’ve ever fixed or bought
secondhand?
6) Best Buy recycles all sorts of appliances, even if they weren’t purchased at Best
Buy. Get the details. (link to http://www.bestbuy.com/site/globalpromotions/recyclefaqs/pcmcat174700050009.c?id=pcmcat174700050009&type=category&id=pc
mcat174700050009)
Sub-topics for December: No Waste Holiday, Lights Recycling
7) Incorporate a little “green” into your holiday shopping. Bring reusable tote bags.
(Link to http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/reduce-wasteduring-holidays)
These materials were provided by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) as a
part of its Rethink Recycling outreach efforts. Please help us track the use of Rethink Recycling
materials by sending an e-mail to Info@RethinkRecycling.com with a description of how the
materials were used, the date(s) published, and the estimated reach.
8) What’s the most cherished, no-waste holiday gift you’ve ever received? Get
some ideas for this year in our holiday guide.
(http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/reduce/reduce-waste-duringholidays)
9) “Green” wrapping ideas include reusable containers, children’s artwork, fabric,
bows made from natural evergreens. What else?
10) Did you know about 40% of all battery sales occur during the holidays? This
year, think rechargeable.
11) In Minnesota it’s illegal to put your Christmas tree and wreaths in the trash.
(http://www.rethinkrecycling.com/residents/materials-name/christmas-treesholiday-decorations)
12) Holiday lights don't work? Recycle them! Visit recycleminnesota.org for the
locations near you. (http://www.recycleminnesota.org/programs/recycle-yourholidays)
13) Recycle Your Holidays™ collects unwanted light strings at 450+ locations
Nov. 15-January. Some are year round.
(http://www.recycleminnesota.org/programs/recycle-your-holidays)
###
These materials were provided by the Solid Waste Management Coordinating Board (SWMCB) as a
part of its Rethink Recycling outreach efforts. Please help us track the use of Rethink Recycling
materials by sending an e-mail to Info@RethinkRecycling.com with a description of how the
materials were used, the date(s) published, and the estimated reach.