No one wants to do without many major household appliances. The dishwasher, for example, is a real household pearl and performs many hours of work in its lifetime. But at some point the time has come – the dishwasher gives up the ghost, is replaced by a new one or remains unused during a move. Then the question arises: How do I get rid of the appliance now? That’s not so difficult, provided you know the various ways in which you should dispose of the dishwasher.
Who accepts a dishwasher or disposes of it properly?
Whether the appliance is defective or it is working, disposing of major household appliances is usually very simple. If you want to dispose of your dishwasher, there are several options, which we will now explain below.
1st possibility: Municipal recycling center
Many municipalities offer a free collection service of disused large household appliances. Often there is also a bulky waste appointment for this. The cost of this service is already included in the waste fee. However, some municipalities do not pick up and instead offer to accept the dishwasher free of charge at the recycling center. Then you have to take care of the transport to the disposal point yourself.
2nd option: Donate or place an ad
Another way to get rid of the dishwasher is, for example, donating it to social department stores or offering it in a classifieds portal such as Ebay Classifieds . After posting the ad, it usually takes only a few hours for interested scrap dealers to get in touch. If the device is only partially defective or still works, you can even charge a small amount for it. The advantage of this disposal option is that you don’t even have to carry or dismantle the appliance yourself if you let interested parties know before you pick it up. A used dishwasher will find a ready market here.
Also of interest: How much electricity and water does a dishwasher use?
3rd option: old appliance disposal by the dealer.
Likewise, you can give the old dishwasher right along with the delivery of a new dishwasher. Since 2016, it has been mandatory for every major retailer to take back old appliances. The latter must take back the appliance free of charge if its sales area exceeds 400 square meters. This also includes online retailers such as Amazon or Otto. Transport costs may be charged, but the major retailers usually waive them as well, so this option to dispose of the dishwasher should be quite convenient for you.
4th option: selling individual parts
If you or a member of your family or circle of friends are in a position to cannibalize the dishwasher yourself, you can furthermore offer or repair the appliance in individual parts, for example on the Internet, and sell it back in working order.
Also of interest: Buying a dishwasher – 5 reasons why no household should be without one!
Why do large household appliances have to be disposed of properly?
There are several reasons for this. First and foremost is the recyclability of individual parts and thus the conservation of natural resources. If you give the appliance to a non-urban scrap dealer, it is usually cannibalized. That is, functional parts such as spray arm, pumps, hoses, controls are resold as used dishwasher spare parts. Cables and metal are recycled and made into new products.
Also of interest: Is pre-rinsing dishes with the dishwasher useful or not?
Dishwasher disposal and reuse of raw materials
Municipal or community recyclers transport the appliances onward and often do not disassemble them themselves on site. This entire disposal cycle ensures that existing raw materials are reused. The free acceptance of dishwashers and other appliances is also intended to ensure that they are not carelessly dumped illegally in the countryside. There, household appliances can cause serious and long-lasting environmental pollution.


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David Shaw
Dishwashers expert with over 10 years of experience. He writes articles and shares his knowledge on many sites. Helps you choose the best (portable, countertop, built-in) dishwashers on this site.