ASK
Is it really curtains for your popcorn machine? If it’s faulty, could you find a repair shop? Could you donate it to a charity shop? Or pass it on to someone who wants a pre-loved popping machine? Or could you sell your unwanted popcorn maker?
Recycling a popcorn maker
Is popcorn no longer the ticket for an evening in with a movie? Time to recycle the popcorn maker – or give it the reboot it deserves.
How to recycle a popcorn maker
It’s as easy as ABC
BAG IT
If your popcorn maker has come to the end, find a bag or box that you can use to store it with all your other old electrical bits and pieces. Then it’s ready for your next trip to the recycling centre – or for collection day if you have one.
CHECK
Find your nearest recycling point. Simply enter your postcode in our recycling locator. And off you pop.
Where can you recycle popcorn makers?
Pick ‘n’ mix from the growing list of options
In store
Thousands of shops across the UK will now recycle your old popcorn machine for you when you buy a new one from them. Some retailers take back all old electrical goods for recycling or refurbishment even if you’re not buying anything. #zerowaste
Where to recycle your popcorn maker
Easy! Find your nearest electrical recycling collection or drop-off point by simply entering your postcode in our handy locator.
With your recycling collection
Some councils collect kitchen gadgets and other electricals for recycling – either with your regular waste collection or by special arrangement. Contact your council: check their website to find out how. Or use our recycling locator.
Recycling banks
Some supermarkets, car parks and designated roadside areas have electrical recycling bins (or ‘bring banks’). Check to see if your nearest one can take larger items like domestic popcorn machines.
CORNY BUT TRUE
Your unloved popcorn machine can have a happy ending
Home popcorn makers are an example of the kitchen “FadTech” that millions of us buy, use once then hardly use again. In fact there are over 18 million kitchen FadTech items gathering dust in UK cupboards.
The valuable steel, aluminium and glass these unused electricals contain could be used in new products such as life-saving defibrillators or children’s play equipment. Give yours a happy ending – find it a new home or make sure it‘s recycled.
Recycling popcorn makers – frequently asked questions
Can I put my old popcorn maker in the bin?
What does the picture of a crossed-out bin on my popcorn maker mean?
The crossed-out wheelie bin indicates hazardous waste, and means you mustn’t put your gadget in the general rubbish bin. We need to dispose of all electrical and electronic appliances properly to avoid polluting the planet and to save valuable resources from being lost forever.
Is it OK to leave my unwanted popcorn maker out on the street for someone to pick up?
If you’ve arranged for an appliance to be picked up by your local council or collection service to be disposed of properly, then yes, that’s okay. But don’t just dump electrical goods on the pavement – it 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 popcorn 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 popcorn maker if you recycle it?
When your popcorn maker or any other electrical item reaches a recycling centre it is broken down mechanically and by hand. The fragments are sorted into materials such as metals and plastics, and are cleaned. Then they go for further processing so that they can be reused in new products. Watch our video on How electricals are recycled.
Is it up to me to take my old popcorn maker to the dump to be recycled?
If you’re able to take your unwanted popcorn maker to your nearest waste and recycling centre, this is a good option (check ahead for opening times and rules). But if you can’t get there, see Who will collect my unwanted popcorn maker? – below.
Who will collect my unwanted popcorn maker?
Your local authority, local 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. Hiring a licensed waste disposal firm to take your electrical appliances away might be an option if you’re having a clear-out. You could also sell your old air fryer 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.
Do charity shops take popcorn makers?
Some charity shops welcome kitchen appliances and other electricals that are in working order. See our page on donating electricals to charity shops.
Where can I recycle a popcorn maker that I’m replacing?
Find your nearest reuse and recycling point using our recycling locator. Or, if you’re shopping, remember that retailers now take back old electricals when you’re buying new – including old popcorn machines. 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 gadget even if you’re not buying from them.
What else can a popcorn maker be used for?
Check the manufacturer’s instructions for use. Once a popcorn maker has reached the end of its useful life, it can be dismantled and the valuable materials it contains – such as aluminium, glass and steel – can be recovered to go into new products. Find your nearest reuse and recycling point using our recycling locator.
Should you clean a popcorn machine?
If you’re selling or passing on your popcorn maker to someone else or donating it to a charity shop, you’ll probably want to clean the device first. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
Find your nearest recycling point
Put in your postcode to find recycling and reuse centres near you
