White Goods

The term “white goods” was coined by Sears and Roebuck in their early catalogs and referred to household appliances that had a white porcelain enamel exterior. The term is still used and covers the items in the list below.

• Clothes washers and dryers
• Commercial refrigeration equipment and fry cookers
• Dishwashers and sanitizers
• Drinking water coolers
• Hot food bars (steam tables)
• Household trash compactors
• Ovens, ranges, stoves (including built-in units)
• Popcorn machines (floor-model)
• Refrigerators, freezers, ice cream dispensers
• Steam tables used to keep food hot
• Unit air conditioners
• Vending machines
• Water heaters

Recycling White Goods

• White goods must be free of hazardous material, and all lab equipment must have a completed Safety Clearance Form attached.
• All discarded white goods that are on inventory at UNC-Chapel Hill are to be cleared through University Surplus Property to determine if they can be reused or sold.
• Items to be disposed are then to be transported to Orange County’s white goods recycling facility located at the landfill (no charge, but you must go across the scales.)
• The county’s recycling program will accept an unlimited number of units without refrigeration. However, they will only accept 10 units with refrigeration in a single delivery. To deliver more than 10 units (with refrigeration) in a single delivery, please call the landfill manager at 919-932-2989 one day in advance so that the materials can be received in an orderly fashion.