Where Can I Throw Away My Microwave Ovens?

History

• The microwave oven was invented in 1946 when a scientist noticed microwave energy and vacuum tubes had melted a candy bar in his pocket, popped popcorn and caused an egg to explode. The first model to hit the market, the Radarange, was sold by the Raytheon Company and cost between $2,000 to $3,000 each. Since its debut, microwaves have become a fixture in many homes and sell for a fraction of the price.

Function

• A microwave's biggest function and benefit is the time it saves in heating up food. Look at packaging on a frozen pizza, for example, which may suggest 30 minutes in a standard oven and just three minutes in a microwave. Microwaves heat everything from water to soup to potatoes, pop popcorn and defrost packaging. With a couple of button presses, the microwave clicks on and warms from the inside; the outer surfaces never get hot so there is no burn risk like on a stove.

Solution

• Check with your local city, town or county ordinances before throwing away a microwave. Some officials, such as those of Pinellas County, deem microwaves a hazardous material that may not be placed in the trash. The county offers a list of free drop-off areas (by city) and also states appliance centers that will pick up the microwave (some for a fee, some for free). If the city has no restrictions on microwave oven disposal, place them in the regular trash bin (if they'll fit), or leave them at the curb on trash pickup day.

Considerations

• Other ways exist to move a microwave out of the home without throwing it away. A microwave that works, such as one you're just replacing with a newer model, can be donated to a nonprofit organization such as the Salvation Army or a local charity thrift shop. Even microwaves that don't work anymore, whether because of a broken heater, lack of spin or faulty electronics, may find new homes at scrap metal or recycling centers, which will find new uses for the parts making up the machine.