Where To Dump A Lawn Mower For Free
Now, this is the part youve been waiting for. So are you thinking about where to dump a lawn mower that you dont already need? There are many ways you could actually get rid of your garden machine and these wont even scratch your wallet. Some may sound too easy but a few would need your patience and time. So here they are:
- Recycle Your Lawn Mower
Lawn mowers are generally made of metal like aluminum for their handles, cast aluminum for their decks, and steel for their blades. It is also composed of plastic while the engine is made of aluminum castings. Even the small parts in its engines are made of different kinds of metals while there are also rubber parts such as the wheels and gaskets. If you disassemble a standard push mower, you will find that about 65% of it is made of metal. Junk shops will generally accept all kinds of metals that come from lawn mowers. And for the rubber, you can throw them away into the red bid for the non-recyclable junks.
However, lawn mower disposal thru recycling is not a simple task because you have to disassemble everything with the machine. You must also drain its gasoline and oil and we have already talked about how to dispose of mower oil. If you want to know how to disassemble lawn mowers, find instructional videos on YouTube or disengage just about everything you see using tools that are connected and segregate the parts accordingly.
- Find a Recycling Center in Your Area
- Take Your Electric Mower to an E-Waste Recycling Facility
Other Ways To Make The Most Of Your Lawn Clippings
Aside from regularly mowing your lawn, you want to make sure never to mow more than 1/3 the height of the grass every time you mow. Grass is healthiest with some length to it, and about 3-inches is the optimal height for most lawns.
When your lawn surpasses 4-inches, then its about time to trim it.
Its very important to keep your mower blades sharp. A dull blade will tear the grass, instead of cutting it. This leaves jagged ends at the tip of the blade that then dry out. Your lawn is less healthy and more susceptible to diseases when that happens.
Make sure your grass is dry when you leave clippings on the lawn. Keep this in mind if you use grass clippings to mulch in your garden, as well.
Wet grass mats down onto existing grass and reduces oxygen exposure. It also traps moisture and prevents the mulch from getting into the soil.
Also if you recently treated your lawn with a herbicide, dont use the grass clippings as mulch. This can harm plants you want to keep.
Option : Take Your Lawn Mower To A Recycling Center
If you cant give it away , your best bet is probably your governments recycling program:
- USA We are not aware of a national recycling program for old lawn mowers in the USA, so youll need to proceed to option 2 or 3.
- UK All household waste recycling centres will accept mowers free of charge. You may need to bring a photo ID or proof of residence to drop it off at your local tip.
- Canada The OPEIC recycling program accepts old electric mowers, as well as other outdoor power equipment, but they wont take ones with fuel-powered engines. They have a range of depots, mainly in British Columbia . If theres not one near you, or you have a lawn mower with an engine, check out your nearest recycling center.
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Old Lawn Mower Pickup & Disposal
If you want to get rid of your old tools like a riding lawn mower or push mower and dont want to add to a landfill but dont have the time or tools to haul it yourself, having a professional pick up and haul away your old lawn mower to be recycled or donated is the perfect solution.
LoadUp is a nationwide junk removal company that offers eco-friendly lawn mower pickup, haul away, and disposal, no matter what condition your old mower is in.
When you book a pickup with LoadUp, you can take back the space that your old lawn mower was eating up as soon as tomorrow morning. Why let your old lawn mower rust in the yard, tool shed, or garage when junk removal pros at LoadUp can take care of everything for you?
Having already diverted over 3 million pounds of junk from local landfills, LoadUp recycles or donates every single item they possibly can.
All of LoadUps independently contracted junk removal professionals are fully insured and completely background-checked. So if youre looking for a fast, friendly, affordable, and eco-friendly way to get rid of your old lawn mower, give LoadUp a call.
Dont like talking on the phone? Book online using LoadUps super easy online booking system and also get an upfront, honest price thats 20-30% lower than other junk removal companies. No haggling salesmen, on-site estimates, price gouging, or unexpected fees!
Related from the Trash Talk Blog:
You Can Recycle Old Lawn Mowers
As youve probably already figured, a lawn mower is full of recyclable materials. It is primarily made of metal, from the large cutting blades to the small nuts and bolts. The metal components in a lawnmower are usually substantial and would fetch a decent penny. It also has plastic parts that can be recycled as well. Lets talk about how to properly and safely dispose of your lawn mower.
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How To Dispose Of Old Gas & Oil From A Lawn Mower
As mentioned above, regardless of how you choose to dispose of your old lawnmower, youll need to remove the gas and oil before proceeding.
If youre wondering where to take your old lawnmowers to drain, visit a mechanic or repair shop to pay them to drain the gas and oil if you are unsure whether to do it yourself.
However, this is a fairly simple process to drain oil or gas from a mower. Lets see how you can do it yourself
Heres how to drain oil or gas from a lawn mower:
- First, use a siphon hose to drain the gas from the tank and place it in a clean container. It is best to use a siphon hose with a connected hand pump.
- Then disconnect the spark plug cable and tilt the mower with the carburetor up into the air.
- Next, remove the center screw or screws that secure the blade and carefully slide the blade out of the mower.
- Place an oil sump under the mower and remove the oil reservoir cap to drain the oil into the sump. The location of the oil reservoir cap can vary from mower to mower but is usually located under the blade in the center of the deck of a push mower.
If you own a riding mower, the connector should be on the side of the engine block. Then you can take the used oil to an auto parts store or a mechanic. Because they can recycle the oil on your behalf for a small fee.
You will also need to dispose of the gas as well. However, in this case, you may use your municipal household hazardous waste disposal facility to take the gasoline and the oil too.
How To Safely Recycle Old Lawn Mowers
Some things must be done to ensure the safety of others. If your lawn mower is gas-powered, then the gas must be drained or removed. This also goes for the oil tank. Improper disposal of gas and oil is extremely harmful to the environment. Draining and disposing of these substances is a fairly simple process, but if youre unsure of how to do it properly, ask for help. You can also look for a company that buys and recycles gas and oil. For current information on proper disposal of hazardous waste, please check the EPA website.
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How To Dispose Of Mower Oil
Dumping of used oil anywhere is illegal to any country and punishable by environmental laws. Doing this, you are introducing pollutants not only into the soil but possibly on the water supply or bodies of water to which can pose dangers to animals, plants and to us that depends on this water. So being in liquid form and toxic, you must know how to dispose of mower oil when you need to dispose of your lawn mower altogether or when you need to just change the oil of your current machine.
Here are simple ways on disposing of used lawn mower oil:
- First is learning how to drain the oil from the lawn mower. Place the lawn mower on the pavement so that it will be on a raised platform.
- Place an oil pan just below to where the oil reserve is located then uncap the oil cap and tip the machine on its side. The dirty oil should drip into the waiting oil pan. Let the oil drain completely.
- Transfer the oil into a metal can container and seal its cap tightly. You can also keep it in a large bottle container along with other motor oil.
Leave The Grass Clippings On Your Lawn
This is one of the best methods and I have already explained it completely so you can read the whole article to get complete information. If you use a mower that has a mulching function then you can get very good results from this method but you have to take care of some things for getting positive results.
I have already explained these things in detail so you can follow these important tips that could be beneficial for your lawn.
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What You Should Know About Recycling Old Lawn Mowers
Does your garage have an old lawn mower, edger or other unwanted landscaping tools just taking up space? When you have a broken or obsolete lawn mower and other landscaping appliances, you know that getting rid of them can be difficult, uncomfortable, and dirty.
Lawnmower and Landscaping Equipment Disposal
Your old landscaping equipment probably lasted you for years. But, at some point, tools break down or perhaps youve upgraded to something bigger and better. Possibly you’ve even decided to throw in the towel and hire a professional landscaping firm.
In fact, upgrading can be a smart choice on a number of levels. Newer models of lawn mowers and other landscaping and gardening tools are more efficient and less harmful to the environment than many of the older tools still being used in American homes.
For example, it’s been calculated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that a gas powered lawn mower produces as much volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides emissions air pollution in one hour of operation as 11 new cars each being driven for one hour. In addition, it’s estimated that an average of about 54 million Americans mow their lawns, using 800 million gallons of gas per year.
According to the EPA, one gas mower spews 88 pounds of CO2 along with another 34 pounds of other pollutants into the air every year. Multiply this by 54 million lawn mowers and that’s approximately 5% of the total air pollution produced in the US every year.
Selling your tools
Heres How To Drain Oil From A Lawn Mower:
Pro Tip: Never use your mouth to siphon gasoline out of a lawn mower.
If you have a riding lawn mower, the plug should be located on the side of the engine block. You can then take the used oil to an auto parts store or mechanic who can recycle the oil for you for a small fee.
However, you will need to dispose of the gas as well, so its probably best to take the gasoline and the oil to your municipal household hazardous waste disposal facility. If you dont know where your HHW facility is, you can find out by checking your city or municipalitys website or by giving them a call.
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Use Lawn Waste Container:
IF you dont want to convert it to compost by do it yourself and have a waste container facility in your area. Dont put these grass clipping in your private trash bin, you need a local area collection company that takes these grass clipping and disposes of them according to their way.
That could be a simple option for you to easily dispose of it but if you are living in those areas where that facility is not available then you can go with other options that are told in this article.
How To Dispose Of A Lawn Mower That Still Works
Figuring out how to dispose of a lawn mower that still works is a matter of free time and urgency. Some people have a ton of free time and are able to weigh their options for a while, but some people will probably need to dispose of the mower right away. The way I see it, there are only two ways to get rid of a working mower: either give it away or sell it. Though this might seem cut and dry, both of these methods offer a few options.
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Landscaping Equipment Can Be Recycled
If you simply want to be rid of your old equipment, but don’t want to contribute to the waste stream, having a professional junk hauling firm pick them up can be a true eco-friendly option.
Lawn mowers and other landscaping equipment can be broken down into metal and plastic parts, cleaned free of gasoline or other substances and recycled industrially. This includes appliances like lawn mowers, leave blowers, wheelbarrows, hedge trimmers, edgers, weed trimmers and even chainsaws. While it’s not exactly a landscaping tool, even your old barbecues can be picked up and recycled!
There can often be other types of metals in an old tool. The question often comes up regarding what types of metals actually can be sold for scrap. Non-ferrous metals, such as copper, aluminum, brass, stainless steel and bronze, generally bring more money at scrap yards. While ferrous metals, like steel and iron, are not as valuable, the scrap yards will still accept these metals for recycling.
The website at Earth911.com notes that,
“The most common metals accepted by scrap yards include copper, steel, aluminum, brass, iron and wires. But your local scrap yard may accept additional metals for recycling and give you cash payouts for your scrap metals. Call a few scrap yards in your area ahead of time for a list of scrap metals they accept for recycling”
If you choose to sell your old equipment and tools as scrap metal keep in mind how scrap is purchased by the scrap metal reclamation companies.
Getting Rid Of Lawn Mowers In Other Ways
Tip: For the best chances of selling your lawn mower, list it in spring or summer when people are most likely to need a new lawn mower.
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Lawn Mower Recycling Pickup Services
Once you have decided to get rid of your old lawn mower, you need to figure out how to do it responsibly.
Most people cant leave their old lawnmowers on the sidewalk for the city garbage disposal service to take. Because most garbage disposal services dont pick them up.
Also, not everyone has the necessary vehicle to transport these items to the local recycling center.
If you just want to end up with your old lawnmower but dont want to add it to the already overcrowded waste stream, having it picked up by a professional garbage disposal company can be a really green option.
Lawn mowers and other landscaping tools can be cleaned of any fuel residue, break down into their metal and plastic components, and into the materials used to make new lawn tools or other products.
Here are some of the companies below who can help you out to recycle or dispose of your old lawn mower.
- LOADUP
- Larrys Junk Removal
