How to recycle landscaping equipment

Your landscaping equipment is sure to run its course eventually, but what will you do with your mowers and tools when it comes time to get something new?

Your equipment has probably been very faithful to you and has lasted for years, but it’s inevitable that at some point it will break down and tear up for good, or you’ll just get the itch to buy some newer, upgraded equipment.Recycling symbol

There are plenty of landscapers who end up holding on to old pieces of equipment and landscaping tools because keeping them in a warehouse or storage area somewhere is easier than attempting to throw them away, but what if you could find a way to safely recycle these machines instead?

Still in good condition

If you find yourself in the position of needing to get rid of some old equipment, there are a few options you can consider before you try to sit your old mower out on the curb for the trash to pick up.

If the equipment is still in fair, working condition, consider trying to find someone to sell it to at a discounted rate. This option not only helps get you a little money back in your pocket, but it could also potentially help out someone who may be in need of a lower priced piece of equipment.

With the technological age being so prevalent, consider listing your equipment for sale online, too. If this is the route you plan to take, be sure to clean the machines thoroughly and use high-quality photos to make them look more appealing to buyers.

Taking the equipment to a donation center is also another viable option that could help give back to someone who might need the equipment but may not be able to afford full-priced machines, and it can also serve as a tax write-off.

If you already have someone in mind to give the equipment to, then skip selling and donating and go straight to gifting the machines to said person.

Another option that could prove helpful is reaching out to the manufacturer of the tool or machine, as some will take the item back and recycle it properly for you.

Non-working condition

If you have some machines that have completely bitten the dust and absolutely won’t work anymore, there could still be a way you could make a little bit of money off them.

Regardless of whether it’s a mower, string trimmer, blower or other tools, there are parts on the machine that could be salvaged and used on another. After taking off the usable parts, you can also sell the rest of the machine as scrap metal.

“Most buy mowers at scrap metal prices that fluctuate daily in accordance with the market,” Hunker.com says. “You won’t get as much as if you parted it out, but engines and some decks are made with aluminum castings.”

To check and see if your mower deck is made of aluminum, place a magnet on it. If the magnet doesn’t stick, it might be aluminum. This is good to keep in mind because aluminum will be worth more at a scrap yard.

While Hunker.com says it might not prove to be worth the extra time and effort, you can also break the equipment down and separate the pieces of metal out by type.

If you do choose to break the machine apart and separate the metals, be sure to properly and safely drain the machine’s gas into a container that is approved by the Department of Transportation (DOT).

After this, use a magnet to separate the ferrous, ones that contain iron, and non-ferrous metals, as the magnet will stick to ferrous metals but not aluminum.

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