How to Dispose of a Piano?

Disposing of a Broken or Old Piano

If you want to dispose of a broken or old piano, keep in mind that it is not that easy. If you are thinking of throwing your musical instrument into the trash, it is impossible. Pianos are large and heavy as well as made of materials that don’t break naturally in the landfill site.

Again, the question is: how do you dispose of it correctly? Well, first, you have to figure out whether or not the piano is repairable. If you can fix it, then there is no need to donate it. Second, you need to check if your local junk removal, disposal centre, charity organizations, and recycling facilities accept old or broken pianos.

Once you have found a reliable junk removal or disposal centre in your local area, the next step is to schedule a pickup time with them. When they come to remove the piano from your property, make sure you clear the path for the staff to carry the musical instrument appropriately.

Before the piano movers come to your house, it is essential to dismantling the instrument so that the transportation becomes easier. Anyway, there are the steps to dismantle your musical instrument for disposal.

• Open the lid and key covers to expose the internal structure of the piano.
• Unscrew the desk of the instrument to expose the harp.
• Remove the screws on the piano key cover and then remove the lower board cover.
• Remove the top lip of the instrument by loosening the screws.
• Unscrew the muffler felts running across the hammers.
• Loosen and remove the bracket screws to easily dismantle the hammers.
• Loosen the tension in each string located on the harp. (Make sure you turn the tuning pegs counter-clockwise for safe removal).
• Remove the key bed and lay the instrument down.
• Remove the parts on the side of the instrument and then the piano harp.

The dismantling of the piano will make it easier for the removal service to pick up and transport the parts easily to a charitable organization, social groups, recreation centres, or the disposal centre.

Final Words

If you have a broken piano that can be fixed, there is no need to donate it to non-profit organisations or dispose of it in the recycling centre. However, if you think you can’t fix it, then getting rid of the piano becomes necessary. It can be part of your home decluttering project. Donating your piano to charitable organisations in the UK are usually tax-deductible.

On the other hand, pianos contain certain substances such as cast iron, screws, steel wire, and wood, which are recyclable materials. 

If you want to recycle your piano, find a reputable recycling centre in your local area, and determine if they accept a used piano. At the same time, you should figure out whether or not they cost money for piano transfer to the disposal centre.

Disposing of a piano is completely different from getting rid of other waste material. It requires you to dismantle the item before it is taken away by the junk removal or disposal centre staff.