So, you’re thinking about saying goodbye to your robot vacuum? Well, you’ve got a couple of options to do this responsibly.
First up, recycling. It’s the eco-friendly way to go! They have electronic components and batteries that shouldn’t end up in a landfill. Many places have electronics recycling programs. Just drop off your vacuum at a designated spot, and they’ll take care of the rest. It’s a great way to ensure that the parts are disposed of properly and maybe even used in new products.
Now, the second option is pretty interesting – parting it out. This means you take apart your bot and sell the parts. You’d be surprised how many people look for spare parts. Maybe someone needs a replacement battery, a motor, or even just a wheel. It’s a bit more hands-on, but it can be quite satisfying. Plus, you’re helping others extend their bots life and saving people money on repairs.
So, whether you choose to recycle or part it out, you’re making a choice that’s good for the planet and potentially helpful for other robot vacuum users. It’s all about giving your trusty little cleaner a proper send-off!
Why Should You Care About The Proper Disposing Procedures?
It’s not always obvious why someone should go through all the hassle of getting rid of their Roomba, but there are a few good reasons.
The first reason is that the battery needs to be properly disposed of, or it can start a fire.
A second reason is that your data is on that robot, and you should remove it or at least know the bot has been destroyed properly. Your name, address and Wi-Fi password can often be stored on the bot, along with the inner map of your home.
A third reason is the environmental impact, as most of the parts can be recycled easily. From the gold on the terminals, copper in the wires, to even the plastics.
Lastly, in some places you’re legally required to get rid of such household items properly or risk a fine or worse. I know, it can sound silly, but the batteries in these things need to be handled properly.
Recycling Your Bot
You can recycle your robot vacuum and is what most people do.
Here are the steps:
- Unplug your vacuum.
- Remove or deactivate the robot vac 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 bot.
- 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 bot to any electronic waste center. Most convenience centers, recycling centers, and even electronic stores (Best Buy) will take of them.
The most important part is disposing of the battery properly.
Try Parting Out Your Vacuum
I’ve always been a fan of repurposing or salvaging what we can before outright disposal, and this philosophy extends to smart bot 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 bot 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 that 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 bot 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 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 more Roombas.