Staying fit and healthy in the comfort of your own home is the ultimate luxury. However, things can get a bit tricky when it comes to old exercise equipment disposal. Large and typically bulky, old gym equipment can be hard to shift without the help of professionals.
While some items like free weights, booty bands, and kettlebells will last a lifetime, treadmills, elliptical trainers, and stationary bikes all have an expiry date. Not only that, it's not as if you can easily put them out on a council pick-up day. So how should go you about disposing of your old gym equipment without injuring yourself? And how can you decide where it should go?
As the leading rubbish removal experts, we're pretty keen on recycling here at Ridly.
We're interested in not only providing tips on how to remove your old gym equipment, but also where to take it to be recycled effectively. Below we've listed some ideas for the best ways to get rid of and recycle old exercise equipment.
Why Recycle Gym Equipment?
Before considering how to dispose of old exercise equipment responsibly, we should consider why recycling is the most sustainable option. Taking your old exercise bike or treadmill to the tip might seem like the most straightforward option when you're thinking about gym equipment disposal. This approach might appear to be the quickest solution to free up space in your home, but gym equipment contains materials that can pollute water, air, and soil in the landfill area where it ends up. Exercise equipment is far from biodegradable and will hang around in landfill for years and years, polluting the biosphere.
Recycling gym equipment is a viable option as both steel and plastic can be reused in the production of new products. Even better, recycling equipment that is still in working order by selling or donating it will save the energy and resources involved in recycling. The rise in popularity of second-hand shopping in the last few years is slowly changing the way people think about the way they shop.
While at one point buying anything second hand was considered only an option for people who could not afford to purchase equipment new, it's now recognised as an intelligent choice for the planet and your wallet.
A quick google search of "exercise equipment removal near me" will show you that this trend extends even to used gym equipment. As second-hand shopping has become not only more acceptable, but it’s also become more accessible with the rising popularity of second-hand websites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Depop and Gumtree. Now there are countless ways to re-sell your old gym equipment to eager would-be home exercisers.
At Ridly, our view is that we're happy to do your dirty work for a better tomorrow. We're fully aware of the need to reduce our carbon footprint, and we're always looking for the most innovative ways to go green, including old exercise equipment disposal. For us, this means calculating the most efficient route to and from each of our customers and disposing of any waste in the most sustainable way possible. We try to have our rubbish trucks strategically positioned so that we're not too far away from any job, therefore reducing our emissions as much as possible. Eventually, we'd love all rubbish removal to be done according to sustainable practices. In the meantime, we're re-thinking how things have been done in the past to find solutions that don't involve landfill. We're re-acting by always recycling items, and we're re-forming the way we go about rubbish removal by setting new sustainable standards.
But why is landfill so bad? The fact is that using landfill to dispose of rubbish is just lazy. We can do so much better. In landfill, 91% of plastic isn't recycled, and 45 tonnes (and counting) of e-waste is simply dumped when approximately 75% of landfill could be recycled. If you've ever seen a photo of a landfill site, it won't be hard to believe there are countless negative impacts on the environment. Some of them include:
- High levels of methane gas and C02 is released into the environment, contributing to global warming and negatively impacting air quality.
- Toxins and leachate are generated and seep into the surrounding environment degrading soil quality and water supplies.
- Biodiversity is severely impacted because of the vast cleared areas needed for landfill destroy habitats, and toxins from landfill harm surrounding wildlife.
- The gas produced from the rotting piles of rubbish poses a high fire risk, which is particularly concerning in Australia, which is already prone to bush fires.
- Neighbouring communities are also impacted by the toxic environment, which is a potential risk to human health, not to mention an eyesore.
We've established that the best thing you can do for the environment is to recycle and reuse wherever possible. But what can you do? Especially when it comes to old exercise equipment disposal? There are several options you can consider, which include:
1. Selling Old Gym Equipment
One man's trash is another man's treasure, as they say, so selling your unwanted equipment can be an excellent form of recycling with the benefit of earning a little money at the same time. As gym equipment is expensive, there's a large market for second-hand items in good working order. You can list your item online on various sites depending on where you live, or you can simply opt to have a garage sale if you have multiple items to sell.
2. Donating Your Machines
When you're thinking about how to dispose of old exercise equipment, consider donating your items to a local community centre, seniors centre, youth community centre or even high school. These community organisations often run exercise and fitness classes for seniors or those recovering from medical treatment. Understandably, community centres are often strapped for cash and would most likely appreciate donations of exercise equipment, providing it's still in good condition and fully functional. All in all, this is an excellent option for old exercise equipment disposal.
There are even specialised companies that collect pre-loved sports equipment and redistribute it to those who need it most. Companies like Fairgame take old equipment to remote and under-serviced communities in regional Australia, where having proper equipment helps remove barriers to participation in sports. Other charities like The Salvation Army will take oversized items, such as treadmills, in good condition.
3. Give Stuff Away
Some second-hand sites have dedicated sections for items that sellers are giving away for free. This somewhat alleviates the problem of gym equipment disposal as it's usually a condition that the pick-up of free items must be organised by the receiver.
4. Professional Services for Old Exercise Equipment Disposal
Sydney is full of busy professionals, so if selling, donating, or giving away your old gym equipment sounds like a headache you don't have time to deal with, Ridly we will gladly come and pick up your items and take care of reusing, recycling, donating, or converting it for you. It's slightly more involved for us than taking it all straight to the tip, but we're committed to doing our part in protecting the environment by finding alternate destinations for all your rubbish.
By choosing sustainable rubbish removal, especially when considering how to dispose of old exercise equipment, you're doing your part for the planet. With Ridly, you're not sacrificing quality or convenience either as we offer same-day, contactless pick-ups even if you're not at home when we call. We're proud to be Australia's first rubbish removal service that sorts and recycles everything we collect.
We all have the power to contribute to change, and your choices as a consumer matter too. You can make a difference by carefully considering how you and your household choose to dispose of rubbish. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian households generate 12.4 million tonnes of waste annually, so this is no small issue.
Starting at just $69, we offer a sustainable service at the same price as our competitors, who will take your unwanted goods straight to landfill. So really, you're getting more for your money as we offer the same services with the additional benefit of sorting and recycling. The idea that environmentally rubbish disposal will cost the earth is a thing of the past; in fact, it's exactly the opposite! Call us on 0491 181 130 or request a quote online for all your household rubbish removal needs.