What To Do With Your Old Refrigerator

Creative Ways To Reuse Your Old Refrigerator (And What NOT To Do With It!)

 

old refrigerator ineffiientWhen your old refrigerator is past its sell-by date, it’s time to – NOT throw it away!

Refrigerators use a lot of energy – they work 24 hours a day.

Old refrigerators were notoriously inefficient, and also contain toxins.  If your refrigerator is more than 10 years old, it’s probably not at its best.

Although normally it’s green to keep re-using goods you’ve bought instead of replacing them, an old refrigerator is an exception.

That’s why it may be better to get a more modern refrigerator (it doesn’t have to be brand new) which will use less energy.

So, what do you do with your old refrigerator?

What NOT To Do

It might sound terribly convenient to keep a second refrigerator for chilling a few odds-and-ends, but because it’s so inefficient it comes with a hefty environmental cost as well as high utility bills.

You need to keep those energy-guzzling old refrigerators OFF the grid!

Of the 200 million refrigerators and freezers in the United States, the EPA estimates that over 20 million are secondary units sitting in basements or garages. That’s 10 percent! Can you imagine if all of these were unplugged? The reduction in energy demand, ozone depletion and global climate impacts would be amazing!

You don’t want to send your old refrigerator to landfill either – they take up a lot of space and can leak toxins which can end up in the water supply, as well as greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

old refrigerator reuse for storageSo what should you do?

Re-use or re-purpose it, of course!

(But first, make sure you de-gas them).

Here are some great ideas.

Storage: old refrigerators make great shelves. Unplug it, clean it out, remove the door and use it in your pantry, kitchen or garage for storage or as a tool shelf. Make it into a new closet or a desk. Then use the door for additional storage or as a wet bar accompaniment.

 

Old Refrigerator re-used as ice chest
Old Refrigerator re-used as ice chest (Krafty Karina)

Pond: Your old refrigerator is surprisingly watertight, so you can bury it and make it into a pond, or use it as an ice chest.

Plants: Use your old refrigerator as a flower bed – it can become an easy raised bed.

Or use it as a root cellar – bury it underground and use the door as the opening.

Water Heater: if you’re handy, you could use this excellent example of a solar water heater made from an old refrigerator

Slide: use the door as a sled or toboggan.

Outdoor furniture: repurpose your old refrigerator as an outdoor table or bench. Or a sandbox for the kids.

Old Refrigerator re-used as Furniture
Old Refrigerator re-used as Furniture (Gadgether)

Furniture: a bit of imagination works wonders with an old refrigerator!

(Note: however you repurpose your old fridge, be sure to either remove or secure the door so that children and pets can’t get trapped inside).

Recycle

If you can’t re-purpose your old refrigerator, then recycle it properly.

When you recycle your fridge, you need to make sure it is actually recycled and not re-sold as an inefficient, second-hand unit (this happens more than you might think). Always ask exactly what the recycler will do with it.

old refrigerator recycleYour utility company might offer you energy credits for your old refrigerator, or your local recycling company might collect it for you.

Old refrigerators have steel that can be made into cars, plastic that can be recycled into new equipment, and glass can be made into new glass. All of this reduces the demand for new materials.

If you enjoyed this article, please spread the Green word – use the Share buttons on the right – thank you!

Warm regards

signature Clare


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old refrigerator, recycle, repurpose, reuse, reuse your old fridge, reuse your old refrigerator, what to do with your old refrigerator


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