# How do I dispose of this? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 15, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013 "2013-03-15T15:26:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cuberdon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@cuberdon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuberdon)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/1 "2013-03-15T15:26:08Z")
After replacing the motor in my kitchen’s stove hood, what do I do with the old one? It’s a nutone vp 300, if that makes any difference, about the size of a very large orange and 3-5 pounds of mostly metal. No, I’m not sure what kind, exterior is probably stainless, interior might be copper or lead. Obviously I could just toss it in the trash but I’d like to do the responsible thing. I already checked the website of my local disposal company but none of the categories fit. This is in the San Francisco Bay Area, since that will probably make a difference. Mods, if this is the wrong forum then of course please move as needed. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/2 "2013-03-15T16:03:40Z")
Around here, you can just put it in the recycle bin. Check your local recycling guidelines. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/3 "2013-03-15T17:16:49Z")
Our county has a hazardous disposal area at the dump. Did you try calling them? ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/4 "2013-03-15T17:31:18Z")
It probably has some salvage value. A metal recycling company may pay a bit for it. I have a “junk man” who comes to my shop now and then to pick up scrap metal; perhaps you can find someone like that it in your area. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/5 "2013-03-15T17:38:58Z")
Google the following terms: Motor, Rewinding, Repair, Shop, _[your town’s name]._ Call the one that’s most convenient to you and ask them how they go about dealing with old cores. Maybe they’ll offer to buy it from you. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/6 "2013-03-15T17:40:30Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > It probably has some salvage value. A metal recycling company may pay a bit for it. I have a “junk man” who comes to my shop now and then to pick up scrap metal; perhaps you can find someone like that it in your area. > [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Google the following terms: Motor, Rewinding, Repair, Shop, _[your town’s name]._ > > Call the one that’s most convenient to you and ask them how they go about dealing with old cores. Maybe they’ll offer to buy it from you. Seconding both of these. It shouldn’t be hard to find someone who will want an old motor. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/7 "2013-03-15T17:57:53Z")
Most counties in the SF Bay Area are hip to recycling things other than newspapers, beer bottles and pop cans, and they do what’s called single stream recycling. Just chuck that motor in the recycle bin and they’ll take care of it. As a one-off salvage item, it’s not worth the gas to drive around to a metals recycler or motor shop. That 3 pounds is mostly steel, which will get you a penny or so a pound, copper is probably around $3 a pound, but only after you separate it from the steel. If anything, a metals recycler might give you a quarter for the whole thing. ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/8 "2013-03-15T18:03:51Z")
agree; as is it is likely mixed metal and would have the value of iron. a scrapper would dismantle to recycle metals at a higher price. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/9 "2013-03-15T22:11:33Z")
> [@gotpasswords](#): > > …a metals recycler might give you a quarter for the whole thing. Did I say a recycling company may pay a bit for it? Make that two bits! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-dispose-of-this/653013/10 "2013-03-15T23:40:30Z")
Why couldn’t this thread have been about a body?