How to dispose of a microwave depends on where you live, because no federal rule covers it. The EPA treats a household microwave as ordinary solid waste, but Minnesota bans it from the trash outright, and cities such as Saint Paul, Denver and Austin collect it through bulky item pickup, a free appliance appointment or a drop-off center.

Photo: Front of an abandoned microwave oven left in a basement. Solomon203, 2025-02-20. CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source. Resized for web.

If the microwave still works, Ramsey County in Minnesota suggests donating it to a thrift store for reuse. A broken one goes to recycling: Ramsey County takes countertop appliances apart and recycles the valuable parts, and Denver collects appliances itself so the metal is recycled.

What is true everywhere

  • No federal disposal rule. An EPA eCycling FAQ says the federal government defines a microwave as solid waste, so a household can dispose of it in the usual manner, and points residents to their state and local rules before they do.
  • The capacitor can hold a charge. The same EPA answer warns about the electrical charge that may remain in a microwave’s capacitor. Do not open the case or take a microwave apart at home.
  • It counts as a major appliance. EPA’s Appliances Quick Start Guide lists microwaves among major appliances, or white goods, with refrigerators, washers, dryers, stoves and water heaters, and names capacitors among the hazardous parts appliance recyclers remove.
  • Not on the refrigerant list. EPA’s list of appliances that contain refrigerants names refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers. Microwaves are not on it, so the federal refrigerant-removal rules for old fridges do not apply.
  • Usually not covered e-waste. State electronics recycling laws cover TVs, computers and similar devices. California’s Department of Toxic Substances Control, Connecticut’s statute and Oregon’s 2023 law all exclude microwave ovens, and New York City’s Department of Sanitation says New York’s electronics law does not include microwave ovens.

Where it turns local

Minnesota and Saint Paul: never in the trash

  • Minnesota law lists microwave ovens among major appliances and says no one may put a major appliance in mixed municipal solid waste. Major appliances must be recycled or reused, and recycling includes removing capacitors that may contain PCBs. Ramsey County’s 2026 Recycling Guide puts it plainly: it is illegal to place major appliances like microwave ovens in the trash.
  • In Saint Paul, a microwave is a bulky item. Since July 1, 2026, label it “bulky” and set it beside your garbage cart by 6 a.m. on collection day, with no appointment; a truck collects it within two business days. Each garbage cart includes 12 bulky items a year, then $30 each plus tax.
  • Or drop it off free at the Ramsey County Environmental Center, 1700 Kent St., Roseville, Tuesday to Friday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Microwaves are on its list of countertop kitchen appliances, taken from residents of Ramsey and six nearby counties.

Denver: a free appliance appointment through 311

  • In Denver, Colorado, homes served by Denver Solid Waste Management can book a free appliance collection by calling 311, or 720-913-1311. Microwaves are on the accepted list with stoves, water heaters, dishwashers, washers and dryers.
  • Appliances are not taken at Denver’s regular Large Item Pickup. The City collects appliances itself so the metal is recycled.

Austin: drop-off by appointment

  • In Austin, Texas, microwaves are on the accepted electronics and appliances list at the Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center, 2514 Business Center Drive. Every visit needs an appointment, booked online or in the Austin Recycles app.
  • The center is free for Austin and Travis County residents; others pay fees. Austin Resource Recovery’s on-demand bulk collection also takes appliances, up to three appointments a year.

How to find your local answer

  1. If it still works, donate it to a thrift store or a reuse center first.
  2. Open your city page from States & Cities and look under bulk trash pickup and drop-off sites. Check whether your city takes appliances at regular bulk pickup or only by a separate appointment.
  3. Search the drop-off locations catalog for a transfer station, recycling center or county site near you.
  4. If you are in Minnesota, skip the trash cart entirely: the state ban covers every household.

What this is not

  • Not a refrigerator. Fridges, freezers and air conditioners hold refrigerant, which EPA’s appliance disposal rules require to be removed before the metal is recycled. Microwaves are not on that list, though Denver still routes them to the same appliance collection.
  • Not a TV or computer. Take-back programs built on state electronics laws are not required to accept microwaves. Check the program’s list before you drive.