How Old Appliances Can Hurt The Environment

An old dishwasher, oven, and washer sit next to each other on a concrete brick road.

Did you know that there are far more reasons to remove junk than just taking up a lot of space? Old appliances can actually be detrimental to the environment if you leave them abandoned. Many junk removal services don’t recycle these appliances, instead choosing to leave them in landfills. It can bring about disastrous consequences that they didn’t prepare for! We explain the ways that old appliances can leave a lasting environmental impact below.

Appliances With Freon

Did you know that old household appliances can be harmful for the Earth’s ozone layer? In older air conditioners, for example, there is a cooling agent that can be seriously hazardous if it leaks. Freon isn’t regularly used in appliances anymore, but is still present in a lot of older models. In order to properly dispose of an appliance, this agent needs to be removed beforehand. If it leaks, it has the potential to damage Earth’s ozone layer, which is critical to the environment! Recycling your appliances will help ensure that Freon is disposed of properly.

PCBs

If you have an appliance made before 1979 and don’t know what a PCB is, it may be time to get yourself educated! PCBs are man made chemicals that are used as agents for older appliances, especially those that are electrically powered. They don’t have a taste or smell, which can make them deadly if you don’t know what you’re doing. PCBs have been linked to greater risks of cancer as well as being hazardous to plant and animal life around it. The more these PCBs leak, the more problems they cause.

Mercury

Electrical wiring and powering have evolved tremendously over the last few decades, and much of this change revolves around eliminating old flaws. One such old flaw is the use of mercury to control switches in electrical appliances. Old and abandoned appliances are far more likely to see this mercury leak into the environment around it. Mercury will then settle into the land or water around it, becoming a toxic pollutant and eventually entering the food chain. Mercury can create a serious domino effect, so it’s important to be mindful!

Eco-Friendly Appliance Removals With Trash Bandits

In order to reduce your environmental impact and protect your natural ecosystem, you should trust eco-friendly services to remove your junk. Trash Bandits Junk Removal is specially trained in the removal of household appliances, eliminating any risk to the environment and your home. We can help remove the unwanted items from your life in quick and easy fashion! If you have junk at your home, click here to contact us directly and get rid of it!