What happens to old TVs mowers drills etc at tip

[Spare tyre]

My friends and family are awful for throwing stuff away that just needs a tiny amount of time and knowledge

My sister has thrown away a washing machine because the filter was blocked, mower because she cut the cable, Hoover because the hose was blocked ( I offered to take a look, but the replacement was already ordered, I now use them all)

What happens to them at the tip, I guess they can’t sell them due to electrical safety? Any ideas?

[anonymous-user]

Stripped, fluids drained, sorted by non/ferrous metal and other materials and then recycled.

[Saleen836]

Before my local tip was taken over by a private company, a retired guy used to go there and collect most of the tv's,vacuums.etc then take them home and repair what he could and resell or strip for spares the stuff he couldn't repair.That all stopped as soon as the private mob took over

[Spare tyre]

Balls ok

Was thinking of something to keep my ageing dad amused and some extra cash

Thanks

[r159]

I know what you mean I about had to turn the WiFi off to stop my wife from ordering a new vacuum cleaner, the Dyson we have only need a new motor...and to stop her using it when the collector was full...

£25 for motor YouTube instructions easy job.

[loafer123]

Depends on the tip. One near me recycles stuff - if they think it is worth saving, it is put in it's own section and you can help yourself. All credit to East Sussex council for taking that approach.

[BritishBlitz87]

I believe the books, cds and appliances that still work get given to charity or sold. My local has a separate section for intact or fixable stuff and loads of council employees making sure nothing valuable gets wasted.

The amount of perfectly good, high quality stuff that gets skipped in house/workplace clearances or chucked into landfill because people can't even be arsed to give It away is shocking. A few months ago my mum saved a solid oak sideboard from going over the wall at the tip. Not a mark on it either. Large employers are even worse! Our old machine shop's roof caved in the other day, and I asked what they were going to do with the collection of lathes, Mills, lapping machines etc. all good, well maintained industrial quality stuff... They're going to scrap the lot and buy new since the paperwork to get them moved is so onerous they can't find anyone to do it!

Edited by BritishBlitz87 on Monday 26th October 16:40

[rossub]

I’d be amazed if any tips these days let you take any electrical item away.

I don’t think charities take them in either do they? Need for PAT testing and chance of being sued means it isn’t worth it.

[GliderRider]

rossub said:

I’d be amazed if any tips these days let you take any electrical item away.

I don’t think charities take them in either do they? Need for PAT testing and chance of being sued means it isn’t worth it.

One of the charity shops here does take in and PAT test electrical equipment. There are also big supermarket-size charity shops that sell white goods such as washing machines, audio, TVs etc..

[rossub]

Guess I live a sheltered life in a relatively low population area

[A Winner Is You]

BritishBlitz87 said:

I believe the books, cds and appliances that still work get given to charity or sold. My local has a separate section for intact or fixable stuff and loads of council employees making sure nothing valuable gets wasted.

The amount of perfectly good, high quality stuff that gets skipped in house/workplace clearances or chucked into landfill because people can't even be arsed to give It away is shocking. A few months ago my mum saved a solid oak sideboard from going over the wall at the tip. Not a mark on it either. Large employers are even worse! Our old machine shop's roof caved in the other day, and I asked what they were going to do with the collection of lathes, Mills, lapping machines etc. all good, well maintained industrial quality stuff... They're going to scrap the lot and buy new since the paperwork to get them moved is so onerous they can't find anyone to do it!

Edited by BritishBlitz87 on Monday 26th October 16:40

Even giving things away for free or almost nothing can be hard, you have to deal with a whole string of timewasters and chancers. It ends up just not being worth the effort, especially if you're clearing out the belongings of a deceased relative and just want the stuff gone.

[bristolracer]

I want to know why all the employees at my local tip all take their trailers to work?

I mean they wouldn't be taking stuff away would they? That's against the rules apparently.

[BT Summers]

My sister in America says that it is common practice for people to put items such as lawn mowers outside your home with a sign FREE Help Yourself, perhaps needs attention.

I feel particularly strongly when I see pushchairs that have been thrown in skips and then see teenage girls carrying their babies because they cannot afford a pushchair.

Some of you may have Mens Clubs in your areas where men gather in workshoips to repair household items, this has the benefit of giving some men in need a purpose in life as well as returning repaired items to those in need.


Better to re use than scrap

[Psycho Warren]

BT Summers said:

My sister in America says that it is common practice for people to put items such as lawn mowers outside your home with a sign FREE Help Yourself, perhaps needs attention.

America seems better at that than the UK. I guess its because of the "american dream" they have a lot of poor people so there seems to be a bit of a market in second hand goods, giving things away, repairing and reusing that we don't do so much here.

Seems also manufacturers are more happy to sell spares there too. I had a broken microwave here needing a thermal fuse. Couldn't get the spares in the UK from the manufacturer, or repair places, it just isn't available. The same manufacturer in the USA was perfectly happy to sell it to my American sister (but refused to ship outside USA). So £80 for a new microwave or like £10 for 3 replacement fuses (most of which was shipping from my yank sister to here).

Guess thats the difference, here they want you to throw it and buy new.

[BrashCandycoot]

Washing machines/ovens/tumble dryers etc, will be sold to one of the big chains of scrap dealers and put through a fragmetiser, smaller electronic scrap will usually end up through a slow speed shredder where the main outturn will be the plastic for granulation

[hoagypubdog]

[quote=BT Summers]My sister in America says that it is common practice for people to put items such as lawn mowers outside your home with a sign FREE Help Yourself, perhaps needs attention.

I did this just before we moved in summer, stuff from the garage and household items. Just put about 10 items out each day and it all went. Probably saved about 5 tip runs.

[98elise]

loafer123 said:

Depends on the tip. One near me recycles stuff - if they think it is worth saving, it is put in it's own section and you can help yourself. All credit to East Sussex council for taking that approach.

Same here. When my first flat screen started playing up I took it to the tip/recycling center, and they told me they send them to a charity who repair them where possible.

[Gareth79]

Spare tyre said:

Balls ok

Was thinking of something to keep my ageing dad amused and some extra cash

Thanks

Suggest he tries Facebook, Freegle, Freecycle etc. There are quite a few people who already have established businesses getting broken stuff for free so it might be hard to get there first.

I agree it is a huge waste of resources, especially when you see a new-ish Dyson which probably needs £0-5 spending on it to make it usable. I once picked up a free Dyson cylinder vacuum which had been used for vacuuming plaster or something, meaning the bypass flap was opened and no suction. New filter and it did me fine for years, I then sold it on for £25.