ASK
Could your coffee machine be fixed? Could you pass it on to someone you know? Donate it to a charity? Or could you sell your unwanted coffee maker?
Recycling coffee machines
Has your coffee machine made its last skinny macchiato? Wake up and smell how, why and where to recycle your old unwanted coffee maker.
How to recycle an old coffee machine
It’s as easy as ABC.
BAG IT
Find a box or bag that you can use to stash all your old electrical bits and pieces until you next visit the recycling centre – or until collection day if you have one.
CHECK
Find your nearest recycling point. Simply enter your postcode in our recycling locator. And off you go.
Recycling locatorWhere can you recycle coffee machines?
Pick the option that suits you – or maybe try a blend
In store
Thousands of shops across the UK will now recycle your old coffee maker for you when you buy a new one from them. Some retailers take back all old electricals for recycling or refurbishment, even if you’re not buying something new. #zerowaste
With your recycling collection
Some councils collect electricals for recycling – either with your regular waste collection or by special arrangement. Contact your council or check their website to find out. Use our recycling locator.
Your local recycling centre
All household waste and recycling centres have drop-off points for electricals and batteries. Some also have an area for items that can be refurbished to be passed on – in case your not-fully-broken coffee machine could go to a new coffee lover.
Recycling banks
Some supermarkets, car parks and designated roadside areas have electrical recycling drop-off points, or ‘bring banks’. Be sure to check if your nearest can take larger items like coffee machines.
Where to recycle your coffee machine
Easier still, find your nearest electrical recycling collection or drop-off point by simply entering your postcode in our handy locator.
DID YOU KNOW?
Coffee machine disposal – frequently asked questions
Can I put my old coffee machine in the bin?
What does the crossed-out bin icon on my coffee machine mean?
The crossed-out wheelie bin indicates that this is hazardous waste. This means you mustn’t put the product in the general rubbish bin. We need to dispose of electrical and electronic appliances properly to avoid polluting the environment and to save some of the planet’s most valuable resources from being lost forever.
Is it OK to leave my old coffee machine out on the street for someone to pick up?
If you’ve arranged for it to be picked up by your local council or collection service to be disposed of properly, then that’s okay. But don’t just just leave electrical goods on the pavement – it creates an obstruction and can lead to valuable and hazardous materials not being managed properly.
Contact your council, charities or social enterprises in the area to see if they will collect. If you’re buying a new coffee machine, the retailer must take your old one back.
Find your nearest drop-off or collection point for electricals by entering your postcode in our recycling locator.
What happens to an old broken coffee machine if you recycle it?
When your coffee machine – or any other electricals – reaches a recycling centre it is broken down mechanically and by hand. The fragments are sorted into the various materials such as metals and plastics, and are cleaned. Then they go for further processing so that they can be reused in new products or materials. Watch our video on How electricals are recycled.
Is it up to me to take my old coffee machine to the dump to be recycled?
If you have transport and can lift the appliance safely yourself, then taking your unwanted coffee maker to your nearest waste and recycling centre is an option (check ahead for opening times and rules.) But if this isn’t convenient, see “Who will collect my old coffee machine?”, below.
Who will collect my old coffee machine?
Your council, charities and reuse organisations might collect from your doorstep or a designated spot near your home. Some provide this service for free, but others will charge. You could hire a licensed waste disposal firm to take your electrical appliances away; this might be an option if you’re having a clear-out. You could also sell your old coffee maker via peer-to-peer marketplaces such as eBay and Gumtree, or offer it free on Freecycle or Freegle, where you can ask the new owner to collect it themselves.
Do charity shops take coffee machines?
Some charity shops welcome electricals such as kitchen appliances that are in good working order. See our page on donating electricals to charity shops.
Where can I recycle a coffee machine that I’m replacing?
Find your nearest reuse and recycling point using our recycling locator. Or, if you’re shopping, bear in mind that retailers now take back old electricals when you’re buying new – including old coffee makers. You have 28 days to hand your old one over for disposal from the time you buy your new product. Some larger stores will recycle your old appliance even if you’re not buying from them. It’s easier than ever to recycle coffee machines – find out more on appliance recycling at retailers.
Find your nearest recycling point
Put in your postcode to find recycling and reuse centres near you
