Recycling: Kick Your Owners' Manuals to the Curb
Submitted by
Alison
Got kitchen drawers and cabinets that are bursting with old, outdated owners manuals? (Hello, 1999 curling iron you never use anymore!) Don't be afraid to send them to the recycling bin! Even if you think you might need their help if something breaks, it's OK to recycle manuals for kitchen appliances, home electronics—even your auto manual!
Here's why:
Instructions and advice for just about every product in your home are almost always available in an eco-friendly online format, the same place you find everything else—online! The internet is like a giant virtual library of instructions for every toaster and assemble-it-yourself piece of furniture ever made! Just type the manufacturer and the product (including the model number) into a search engine, and be rewarded with more information than would ever have been included in the original owners' manual. (Yay, Internet!)
You're likely to find the manufacturer's website, with downloadable free manuals for their products, as well as information on the warranty and where to send the product for repairs. If you're really lucky, you may even find a consumer forum where other owners are chatting about the same product and problem you have, including their suggestions on the best way to fix things yourself.
Recycling all those space-hogging owners' manuals and finding great ways to save money on repairs at the same time? Sounds like a deal!
Here's why:
Instructions and advice for just about every product in your home are almost always available in an eco-friendly online format, the same place you find everything else—online! The internet is like a giant virtual library of instructions for every toaster and assemble-it-yourself piece of furniture ever made! Just type the manufacturer and the product (including the model number) into a search engine, and be rewarded with more information than would ever have been included in the original owners' manual. (Yay, Internet!)
You're likely to find the manufacturer's website, with downloadable free manuals for their products, as well as information on the warranty and where to send the product for repairs. If you're really lucky, you may even find a consumer forum where other owners are chatting about the same product and problem you have, including their suggestions on the best way to fix things yourself.
Recycling all those space-hogging owners' manuals and finding great ways to save money on repairs at the same time? Sounds like a deal!
Submit!
