Highlights: Small household appliances are often essential in our daily lives. But what to do when they no longer work, or are not repaired? Before you get rid of them, you can check if they cannot be repaired. If you have had them for less than two years, they are still under warranty. You can recover the device, or leave it to the repairer to recycle it. Certain household appliances benefit from the repair bonus. This system, put in place by the Ministry of the Economy since December 2022, allows people who have their appliances repaired to benefit from a discount on their bill. To best choose your future household appliances, discover our selection of the most reliable brands in this area. To find out more about how to dispose of small household appliances in the UK, visit the British Household Appliance Association's website and the British Household Appliances Council's Facebook page. For confidential support, call the Samaritans on 08457 90 90 90 90, visit a local Samaritans branch or click here for details.Many cities now offer collection points for small household appliances intended for recycling. Shopping centers and furniture stores are often affected. Donating a broken small appliance may seem crazy to you, but in practice, some DIYers can benefit from it. It's a small effort to make an important gesture for the planet, and you can often do it at the same time as your weekly shopping. If your coffee machine is definitely broken, it is very likely that you plan to change it after getting rid of it. The company that comes to dispose of it then has the task of determining whether the device can be repaired or not. If this is the case, it can choose to recondition it. Otherwise, it will send it for recycling and send it to a recycling center. The Anti-Waste law for a circular economy (Agec) requires sellers of appliances and furniture to take back user products from their customers. This proposal is valid for all household appliances but also for other products which may be bulky.
Small household appliances are often essential in our daily lives. But what to do when it no longer works, when it is not repaired?
When you buy a coffee maker, a toaster, a fryer, a blender, an electric shaver or even a scale, you don't immediately think about how you're going to be able to get rid of it once it no longer works. . However, at a time when we are constantly talking about eco-responsible consumption, this issue should concern you. Because throwing a small household appliance in the trash is, today, no longer relevant: it is important to find an ecological way to separate yourself from your equipment which no longer works after having checked whether it was not repairable. Fortunately, to
dispose of small household appliances responsibly
, you have different solutions at your disposal. Throw away, recycle, or donate, each choice has a significant impact on the environment. It’s up to you to make your own, depending on the situation!
>> To best choose your future household appliances, discover our
selection of the most reliable brands in this area here
Should your household appliance really be thrown away?
Certainly, your small household appliance no longer works. But does that really mean it's good to throw away? Before you get rid of it, you can check if it cannot be repaired. If you have had it for less than two years, it is still under warranty: it is then interesting to contact the brand of household appliances or the store where you purchased it to benefit from after-sales service. After two years, you can contact an approved repairer, but you will have to pay for the repair.
In this case, the repairer is likely to charge you for the estimate. This amount, on average 10 euros, is deducted from the final price of the repair when the breakdown is manageable. If it turns out that the device really cannot be repaired, then you only have to pay the estimate. You can recover the device, or leave it to the repairer to recycle it.
Note, finally, that certain household appliances benefit from the repair bonus: this system, put in place by the Ministry of the Economy since December 2022, allows people who have their appliances repaired to benefit from a discount on their bill. The latter can range from 15 to 60 euros depending on the product. To benefit from it, the device must be eligible, and the repairer must have the QualiRépar label. The updated list is available on the Ecosystem.eco website.
Where to throw broken small appliances?
If your device has a critical failure, is too old to be repaired or is in pieces, then you have no choice: throw it away. For this, different alternatives are available to you.
The recycling center, a classic but effective solution
It is very likely that your city, town or community of towns has a
recycling center
. The latter has a variety of containers, in which users are invited to deposit their waste according to its nature. By placing your small household appliances in the dedicated container, you allow the recycling center to sort them and send them to a suitable recycling center.
The recycling center is a very practical place to get rid of household appliances and waste of a nature other than that of everyday life. However, this requires having a vehicle and being able to get there during opening hours, which tend to vary from one location to another.
Recycling, a step towards eco-responsibility
Having the reflex to
recycle your small household appliances
only has benefits for the environment, but you still need to know how to do it. Many cities now offer
collection points
for small household appliances intended for recycling. They can be found in public places, but also in stores, which have small containers suitable for entry. Shopping centers and DIY or furniture stores are often affected: do not hesitate to ask around. This choice requires a personal approach, a bit like the recycling center. It's a small effort to make to make an important gesture for the planet, and you can often do it at the same time as your weekly shopping.
The takeover by the store, two birds with one stone
If your coffee machine is definitely broken, it is very likely that you plan to change it after getting rid of it. Please note that, since January 1, 2022, the Anti-Waste law for a circular economy (Agec) requires
sellers of appliances and furniture to take back user products from their customers
.
This means that if you order a new coffee machine online, you can ask the online sales site to collect your broken machine at the same time. This proposal is valid for all household appliances, but also for other products which may be bulky. The company that comes to dispose of it then has the task of determining whether the device can be repaired or not: if this is the case, it can choose to recondition it. Otherwise, she will send it for recycling. Note that this approach is also valid in store when you are able to bring with you the device that you do not wish to keep.
Donation, another anti-waste measure
Donating a broken small appliance may seem crazy to you. But in practice, some DIYers can benefit from it: they can try to repair it, or they can dismantle it to recover spare parts useful in other cases. As long as you offer something for free, there is a good chance that someone will be interested.
To
make your donation
, you can use the Geev application, which is clearly the most popular in France on the subject. But you can also post an ad on LeBonCoin, for example. If you don't have any keys after a reasonable amount of time, then you may want to consider disposing of your device another way.
The importance of having a responsible attitude
These different solutions should allow you to throw away your small household appliance while respecting environmental issues. If possible,
avoid simply putting it in your trash can or on the sidewalk
when the usual garbage collectors come by. If you take this step, then your household appliance has a good chance of never being recycled and if it contains polluting components, these will never be treated with the necessary precautions.
Finally, when purchasing a new small household appliance,
try to pay attention to its
repairability index
, the warranty provided as well as the availability period of spare parts. This information is an indication of the lifespan of the equipment, which will be able to last you longer before you have to throw it away. This is an environmentally friendly attitude, but it is also a good way to save money by limiting the purchase of often expensive devices.
