Recycling Portable Air Conditioners in BC
Introduction
It is that time of year again in BC where temperatures start to rise, and we begin to reach for our air conditioners (A/Cs). Quite possibly, your existing air conditioners may have reached the end of their useful life, in which case you will be looking for a way to dispose of them safely. While there are two categories of air conditioners available on the market (fixed and portable A/C’s), this article is specifically about recycling portable air conditioners, which includes window air conditioners and portable air conditioners which are specifically designed to be moved from place to place within a residence or are mounted in a window. Keep reading to learn how to recycle these units.
While British Columbians are largely aware of paper, plastic, and beverage recycling in the province, they may be unaware that there is also an option for large appliance recycling. In British Columbia, large appliance recycling is simple and easy to do, thanks to the Major Appliance Recycling Roundtable (MARR). LargeApplianceRecycling.ca by MARR is the approved recycling program for large appliances in BC.
How to recycle them
To recycle your portable air conditioners, drop them off – simply find a drop-off location near you. The Large Appliance Recycling program offers over 200 locations spread out across the province. Once you have found a convenient location, check to see its hours of operation, and bring your portable air conditioner to the drop-off site. There are no fees or charges for drop-off.
More Information
You may be wondering if there are any steps you need to take before bringing your large appliance to the drop-off site. However, no special action is required of you. All cooling appliances contain refrigerating gasses, including portable air conditioners, so do not try to drain them yourself. Our certified technicians will drain them, and make sure that the gasses are processed safely.
Our technicians will also safely remove any substances of concern, such as mercury switches or PCB capacitors. Your portable air conditioner(s) will then be sent for processing at any of several processing companies in BC.
Remember, there is no cost for drop off and that includes proper disposal of your air conditioner.
Interested in learning more? Read our FAQs here or email info@marrbc.ca.