Recycling a popcorn maker

No. Anything with a plug, battery or cable, including kitchen appliances like home popcorn makers, should be recycled. But first check out the options for repairing and donating yours.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Some charity shops welcome kitchen appliances and other electricals that are in working order. See our page on donating electricals to charity shops.

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. 

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.

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.