Recycling waste from an aga conversion
/
Here is a picture of some of the components removed from a 2 oven aga during a conversion as they are no longer needed.
So what happens to them all when they are removed from site?
Only a very small proportion of everything removed from the aga goes to landfill, and this is because it cannot be reused, repurposed or recycled.
All the metal components are either passed on to other aga owners or servicing companies for reuse, or are repurposed into something completely different from which they were designed for. This has included boot scrapers, letter boxes, plant pots, barbeques and patio heaters, shelf brackets, garden steps, paving slabs, shed supports, table centrepieces, and ‘steampunk’ lamps – the list is growing! Anything left over is recycled at a local scrapyard.
What is not shown in the picture are the typically five bin bags of vermiculite insulation we remove from an aga, and replace with a much more efficient thermal blanket. As long as the vermiculite is not contaminated with oil or small amounts of asbestos (which it can be in older agas), it is sold to local gardening club members for soil enrichment, and proceeds go towards supporting the Hamble Life Boat Fund. It can also be used to fill the cavities in a chimney when a flue liner has been inserted, as it is completely fireproof.
Oil and gas burners, and oil control valves are reconditioned and sold as spares, or scrapped if no longer viable.
If any panels are removed for re-enamelling, the originals are returned to the enamelling company, to provide newly enamelled panels for the next customer.
Currently, the only waste product from a conversion going to landfill is the layer of woolly fibreglass insulation found under the top plate of an aga, or inside the lids. This is unrecyclable and currently cannot be reused.
Converting your aga generates very little waste. The conversion kit components are designed to have a long life, and your aga then should provide good service for many more years to come, without costing the earth.
