Your blue bin is for printed paper and packaging. But what about bikes? Washing machines? Mattresses? Manitobans—admirably not wanting to waste—regularly ask us where they can recycle products like these that are damaged or no longer needed.
It’s always best to reuse something before recycling it, so our go-to answers are to donate to second-hand stores, charities, or post it online for free. But there are some products that won’t get any takers, either because they’re too damaged (like a tv with a cracked screen) or too big (like appliances).
But there’s still hope for lots of those damaged and seemingly unwanted goods. We’ve put together this list of places you can take your old appliances, mattresses, electronics, and even bicycles, to be either refurbished and reused, or recycled.
Note: The information below is subject to change. Always check with the business/organization directly before taking items to recycle.
Where to recycle appliances (stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, and more)
Provencher Appliance – Most home appliances
Location: 404 Archibald St, Winnipeg
Provencher Appliance will take most home appliances:
- washers & dryers
- stoves
- microwaves
- dishwashers
- refrigerators, freezers, & A/C units (see other places that accept these in the next section)
The company tries to refurbish old or broken appliances first, keeping them alive and out of landfills. If there’s simply no hope for grandma’s cold war stove, they strip it for parts that they can use to save other appliances and recycle the rest.
You can drop off your appliances during their opening hours or pay a fee to have it picked up.
Mother Earth Recycling – Microwaves
Location: 771 Main St, Winnipeg
An Indigenous Social Enterprise in Winnipeg, Mother Earth Recycling accepts mattresses and a variety of electronics (more on that later in the article) for recycling. They also accept microwaves, but this is the only appliance they accept.
You can drop your microwave off to be recycled during opening hours for free or pay a fee to have it picked up.
Other parts of Manitoba
Check with your R.M. or local appliance stores to find out if they recycle appliances.
Where to recycle refrigerators, freezers, and A/C units
EfficiencyMB – Fridges and freezers
Location: Manitoba-wide
To rid the province of inefficient freezers and refrigerators, EfficiencyMB is offering free pick up and a $30 Hydro rebate for working appliances over 20 years old (including other criteria) in coordination with Manitoba Hydro. Although its scope is limited, the program is a great way for some to responsibly dispose of they’re old refrigerating units.
Provencher Appliance – Fridges, freezers, and A/C units.
Location: 404 Archibald St, Winnipeg
We already mentioned them under the ‘appliances’ section, but in case you missed it, they refurbish and recycle refrigerators, freezers, and A/C units.
Other parts of Manitoba
Check with your R.M. or local appliance stores to find out if they recycle refrigerators and freezers.
Where to recycle mattresses and box springs.
Mother Earth Recycling
Location: 771 Main St, Winnipeg
Mother Earth Recycling is Winnipeg’s only mattress recycling service. You can also take your mattresses to the Brady Road 4R Depot, which takes mattresses to Mother Earth Recycling.
They separate the different materials in mattresses like foam, fabric, metal, and wood.
There is an $18 fee for each mattress or box spring to cover the cost of recycling the materials. You can pay an additional fee to have them pick up your mattresses.
Where to recycle electronics.
Recycle My Electronics (EPRA)
Location: Manitoba-wide
As the steward organization responsible for electronics recycling in Manitoba, Recycle My Electronics has drop-off locations across the province. They accept a wide variety of electronics like TVs, printers, cellphones, and many more. You can use their interactive map to find a dop-off site nearest to you.
Saving Audio Recycling
Location: Winnipeg
Saving Audio Recycling is a volunteer organization that refurbishes and recycles audio equipment. They donate refurbished equipment to local non-profits, cultural groups, and schools. Anything they can’t refurbish or use for parts is recycled.
They accept most audio equipment, such as stereos, speakers, record players, and more. Visit their site to see the full list of products they accept and arrange a drop-off or free pick up.
Mother Earth Recycling
Location: 771 Main St, Winnipeg
Mother Earth Recycling accepts most common electronics. They refurbish several kinds of electronics, such as computers and TVs, and recycle the rest following EPRA standards.
Where to recycle bicycles.
Your broken bike doesn’t belong in the dump. With a bit of work, it could be road-ready for years to come. There are a few volunteer-run places you can donate your bike to that will fix it or use any good parts left on it. They help reduce waste while providing affordable transportation to others.
Some places even have a workspace and volunteers that can help you with repairs, so you might not even need to get a new bike after all!
Bicycle recycling in Winnipeg
Coop Velo-cite- 190 Cathedral Ave. Open Sunday 12-4 p.m.
The Bike Dump – 631 Main St. Open Sunday 1-4 p.m. and Tuesday 6-9 p.m.
The WRENCH – Any Winnipeg 4R Depot. The WRENCH collects the bikes from the 4R Depots. They do not accept bike donations at their shops.
Bicycle recycling in Brandon
BNRC Bike Exchange – 440 Rosser Ave. Open Wednesdays 5-7p.m.
Other parts of Manitoba
Check with your local cycling shop to find out if they take used bikes or take to them to your local scrap metal dealer.
Hopefully you were able to find somewhere to donate your stuff. We’ll update this list as we learn of new places that can help Manitobans reduce their waste.
If you know any organizations or businesses that reduce waste by reusing, refurbishing, or repurposing products that would otherwise be disposed of, let us know so we can add them to this list. You can contact us here.