How to dispose of a microwave
A microwave is an appliance to some programs, electronics to others, and plain trash to a few — so where it goes depends on your city. Many drop-offs take it with other small appliances or as scrap metal, sometimes free and sometimes for a small fee.
Short answer
- Check how your city classes it: appliance, electronics, scrap metal or trash.
- Empty it and clean out any food before you go.
- Fees are small — free to $12 at the sites we've seen.
- Some drop-offs refuse microwaves with other electronics.
How cities handle microwaves
- Fort Collins, Colorado: microwaves count as regular trash.
- Asheville, North Carolina: free for residents with other white goods and appliances.
- Oneida County, Wisconsin: $12.
- Mansfield, Connecticut and Conway, New Hampshire handle them with electronics.
- Refused: Norman, Oklahoma and Hancock County, Mississippi list microwaves among items they won't take.
Our guide to electronics recycling covers other small electronics.
Find a drop-off near you
Enter your city or ZIP for the nearest sites, then check each site's page for microwaves.
Common questions
How do you dispose of a microwave?
Check how your city handles it: some take microwaves with appliances or scrap metal, some with electronics, and a few, such as Fort Collins, Colorado, treat them as regular trash.
Can a microwave go in the trash?
In some places. Fort Collins counts microwaves as regular trash, but many programs want them as appliances or electronics. Check your city's page.
Does it cost money to drop off a microwave?
Sometimes a small fee: Oneida County, Wisconsin, charges $12, while Asheville, North Carolina, takes them free from residents.