How To Recycle Radiators?
If you’ve ever done some upgrades to your home heating system, then you might have had to replace some old radiators that didn’t work as efficiently anymore.
And because these are generally made of a significant amount of metals, proper radiator recycling should be a top priority if you have some old ones you need to get rid of.
Why Should You Recycle Your Old Radiator?
While radiators don’t tend to contain toxic materials, there are still very good reasons to recycle them properly. First of all, they are pretty much entirely made of metal, and in most cases, that metal can be melted down to make new stuff.
But you also have to account for electronic parts and cables that you’d find in electric home heating radiators. Those require specialist tools and processes to fully extract and separate.
And then you have to keep in mind that radiators are large and bulky, meaning they would take up a considerable amount of unnecessary space in a landfill.
Here are the critical reasons why you should do the right thing with your radiators.
Extract Valuable Materials - Radiators and home heaters contain a lot of metals, from steel to copper, that can be easily recycled and used to produce new stuff.
Reduce Landfill Waste - It’s completely unnecessary to have radiators end up in a landfill site and take up lots of space.
Lower Demand For Mining - By ensuring that the metals enter the cycle economy, you also reduce the demand for destructive mining for natural resources.
Let’s look at what kind of materials radiators typically contain.
What Materials Can You Retrieve From Old Radiators?
Depending on the age of the radiator, there are several different materials that they might contain.
Old-fashioned radiators were often made of cast iron. And while most people replace these due to inefficiency and being bulky, they can be fully recycled. The more likely case is that you have radiators made with stainless steel, which is also fully recyclable.
It gets a bit more complex when it comes to aluminum copper radiator recycling. With such mixed materials, you need to make sure that the recycling company you use has the tools and expertise to separate them fully.
And when it comes to electric room heaters and radiators, there will also be electronic components and cables that have to go through a completely different recycling process.
How to Recycle Radiators?
You generally have three main options when it comes to doing the right thing with old radiators.
E-Waste Recyclers
Whether you have a standard steel radiator or an electric room heater, your best option is to get in touch with an e-waste recycling firm. By choosing a registered and certified company, you’ll have the peace of mind that they will properly handle the materials.
Municipal Waste Management
When you search for “radiator recycling near me,” you’ll likely find that your local waste management site will offer a recycling program for both electronic and standard radiators. Just contact them before you make the trip there to ensure they will accept these larger products.
Retailers And Hardware Stores
Many hardware stores that sell radiators will also offer a recycling program. In many cases, this might even be offered for free if you buy the new radiator at their store. Contact a few stores near you to find out if they have such a program. You could even check if they will deliver your new radiators and collect the old ones in the same process.
Donation
The other thing to keep in mind is possibly donating old radiators. Electric room heaters that still work could still be used by someone else who doesn’t have the means to buy a new one. And if you’re refurbishing a home and changing the radiators to achieve a specific look, then those old ones could still be reused.
Where to Recycle Radiators?
Here at GreenCitizen, we have specialized in a wide range of different products and materials we can recycle. And there are the easiest options for you to choose from.
Drop-off Recycling (For Individuals in the San Francisco Bay Area)
GreenCitizen operates from an office in Burlingame in the San Francisco Bay Area. What you’ll need to do is pre-fill a form with details of what you want to drop off. You then come to our Burlingame location and simply pay the small processing fee for us to handle your old radiators.
Mail-in Recycling (US-Wide Service)
If you don’t live close enough to drive to GreenCitizen’s recycling center, then you can also opt for our mail-in service. You need to fill out a form with all the details of the radiators and the total weight.
You can then pay the processing fee online and use your preferred delivery service to get them to our office location. We will then email you a receipt so that you have a record of having properly recycled them.
Green Directory (US-Wide Service)
You can head over to our Green Directory, where you’ll find the most convenient service providers across America. Enter “recycle radiator” in the search field and add your zip code, and you’ll find a list of local recycling companies that will accept an old radiator.
Simply contact them to find out how their process works.
DISCLOSURE *: GreenCitizen is passionate about making every day Earth Day for the people and businesses we serve. We introduce only those green products and services that we believe can help our customers reduce waste and environmental damage. We participate in Amazon Associates and other affiliate programs that earn us fees when site visitors follow certain links. We’re committed to using all such revenues to increase our efforts toward making every day Earth Day.
