When your washing machine breaks, or you’re looking to upgrade to a new one, it can be quite a stressful task to get rid of the old one – and perhaps you haven’t even considered yet how to dispose of it responsibly.

You may be feeling overwhelmed, thinking that this is proving to be a lot harder than you thought it would be, but don’t worry. Skip It is here to guide you through the process, along with our professional and helpful advice, and easy-to-follow instructions.

Read on to find out how to dispose of an old washing machine, whether you’re in Epsom or surrounding areas.

Why Is It Important to Dispose of an Old Washing Machine Responsibly?

The substances found within a washing machine can be harmful and extremely damaging to the environment, if you simply chuck away the whole machine, along with the rest of your household waste. Some older models contain chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as well, which can contribute to the depletion of the Ozone Layer, a naturally-occurring barrier in Earth’s atmosphere, which protects us from solar radiation.

As washing machines also contain greenhouse gases, they need to be handled with great care and consideration. With large amounts of waste ending up in landfill every year, more greenhouse gases are released into the environment over time, contributing to increasing emissions of carbon dioxide, which simply accelerates global warming. That’s why it’s so important to dispose of your washing machine responsibly.

How Do I Dispose of an Old Washing Machine?

There are several options available, and it depends on how you prefer to deal with the disposal process. As long as it avoids being thrown away with your regular rubbish, you’ll be making the right choice, either way!

Donate

When you’re looking to upgrade to a new washing machine, and your current one is still in good shape, it can be a great idea to donate it to someone in need, who would appreciate a decent-functioning washing machine.

You can also choose to drop it off at your local charity shop, to make sure that your item reaches an individual who could make good use of it. If a charity shop is unable to resell it for you, they may be in a position to pass it on to other organisations, who might be able to reuse and recycle it.

Sell

If you’re interested in making a small profit from getting rid of your old washing machine, you may want to consider putting it up for sale on a second-hand website. This way you can make some money from it, while putting the item to better use, making sure it avoids ending up in landfill.

If you’re unable to successfully sell your old washing machine online, you can always ask around and find someone, whether that’s close friends, family members or acquaintances, who might be looking for a cheaper machine than the ones they’re finding in the shops.

Recycle

This is our favourite option. If you have suitable transport available and you’re able to safely handle your old washing machine, you can take it to your local recycling centre, so they can responsibly dispose of it for you. Moreover, local councils also offer collection services for bulky household appliances, which you can consider using, if you choose to recycle your washing machine yourself.

Another great option is choosing Skip It to help you with washing machine disposals. We offer a range of reliable and effective waste collection services that can take away the stress and trouble of having to dispose of the item all by yourself.

Here at Skip It, we are strongly committed to recycling, with 95 per cent of all the waste we handle getting recycled by our network of accredited recycling centres. This means you can rest assured that your old washing machine will be disposed of responsibly, helping us take care of the environment.

Help us work towards a cleaner and greener London by booking one of our services, from house clearances to commercial waste collections, all handled by our friendly and professional team of experts. We promise you won’t be disappointed.

Contact us to find out more about how to dispose of an old washing machine, and how we can help.

You can also learn how to recycle and dispose of other household items in our helpful blog posts: