There are two ways to get rid of your robot vacuum, recycle it or part it out. We’ll go over both options.
How To Recycle Your Robot Vacuum
You can recycle your robot vacuum and is what most people do.
Here are the steps to recycle your robot vacuum:
- Unplug your robot vacuum.
- Remove or deactivate the robot vacuum from the app if you had it setup or used the App on your smartphone before. Here are tips to keep your data safe when it comes to your robot vacuum.
- Empty the dustbin.
- Remove the battery.
- Take the battery to any convenience center, Best Buy, Lowes, Home Depot, or any store that takes in old and bad batteries.
- Do not wrap the battery and avoid any metal coming in contact with them.
- Take the rest of the robot vacuum to any electronic waste center. Most convenience centers, recycling centers, and even electronic stores (Best Buy) will dispose of them.
The most important part is disposing of the battery properly.
These batteries can explode or leak acid if you're not careful and dispose of them properly. They do not go in the regular trash, especially since trash trucks tend to compact the trash and this is what causes explosions. You should avoid wrapping the batteries in anything or having them come in contact with metal or other batteries. You can put electrical tape over the terminals of the battery for transport if you like, but it's best you take it right to the recycling center.
Part Out Your Robot Vacuum
I’ve always been a fan of repurposing or salvaging what we can before outright disposal, and this philosophy extends to robot vacuums as well. If you’re thinking of parting ways with yours, consider parting it out.
Of course, the same precautions about battery removal and disposal still apply as mentioned earlier.
Once that’s done, you can dive into the disassembly.
Personally, I’ve noticed that Roomba parts not only fetch a good price, but are also relatively straightforward to extract. Your robot vacuum might have just a singular issue, leaving the rest of its components in prime condition.
Though it does require a bit more effort, this approach is arguably the most environmentally conscious. It’s surprising how many individuals hunt for specific parts on platforms like eBay or Facebook Marketplace. So, why not give it a shot and list the parts there? If you find no takers, you can then resort to the recycling methods outlined in the prior section.
Don’t Put It In The Trash!
You should not throw your robot vacuum in the trashcan, as it’s dangerous and not good for the environment.
The battery at least needs to be removed and recycled properly at any convenience center, even many home improvement stores take them!
The batteries can explode and start fires if they’re not disposed of properly.
Trash trucks compact their loads and this can break the batteries, which leads them to explode or start fires.
The other parts of your robot vacuum have some valuable metals like gold and copper that are sought out for and many recycling centers want. It may not be enough to pay you for them, but these materials in mass are needed to build more things like robot vacuums.