Refrigerators manufactured before 1990 use three times more electricity than newer refrigerators.
An old, inefficient refrigerator can easily cost a household over $150 in utility bills. Since 2001, federal standards have required appliance manufacturers to produce refrigerators which use only 450 kWh of energy yearly, as opposed to the 1,500 kWh of energy which older models consume.
Refrigerator recycling programs all involve free pick-up and small rebates for used refrigerators which are clean, empty, and still working. Does this Spark an idea?
JACO Environmental Inc.
JACO Environmental Inc. has over twenty years experience in appliance recycling, with a refrigerator recycling program that is currently in operation through 61 different utilities in 26 different states. JACO recycles at least 90 percent of the refrigerator, and safely destroys harmful chlorofluorocarbons residing in the foam insulation of the refrigerator, via a waste-to-energy incinerator. Recycled steel from the refrigerator is used in rebar, which is used in buildings and roadways, and the recycled plastic is used for numerous new appliances.
Pickup of your refrigerator is free, but you need to be a paying customer of one of the 61 utility companies JACO is partnered with. In order to determine whether your utility company is partnered with JACO Environmental Inc., you will need to enter your zip code in the "Rebate Pickup Program" window of the JACO Environmental Inc. website.
There are additional qualifications for curbside pickup and rebate eligibility (the rebate is anywhere from $30 to $50). The old refrigerator will need to be clean, empty, and working; the unit has to have a capacity between 10 and 30 cubic feet; and someone 18 years of age or older will have to be present to sign off on the old unit.
JACO Environmental, Inc.
PO Box 1478
Snohomish, WA 98291-1478
Tel: 425-398-6200
Fax: 425-398-6218
Email: info@jacoinc.net
www.jacoinc.net/Default.aspx
ARCA Inc.
ARCA Inc. has been in the appliance recycling business for over 30 years, and has recycled over 2.5 million appliances since the company's inception in 1976. Like JACO Environmental Inc., ARCA Inc. works in tandem with numerous public utilities in many different states throughout the U.S.
ARCA Inc. recycles 90 to 95 percent of every appliance they collect. In 1993, the company developed the first equipment designed to extract levels of chlorofluorocarbons from compressor oil sufficient enough to make the oil recyclable. All metals, plastics, and glass in the used refrigerators is recycled, as well as any PCBs, mercury and used oil.
Pickup is free for those with used-but-still-working refrigerators, and most partnered utilities offer a small rebate upon pickup and sign-off.
ARCA Inc.
7400 Excelsior Blvd.
Minneapolis, MN 55426
Tel: (952) 930-9000, (800) 452-8680
Fax: (952) 930-1800
www.arcainc.com/home.html
National Grid
The National Grid is a northeastern, multi-state utility company that services New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Starting in 2009, the company has offered pickup and recycling services for used refrigerators. The refrigerators are taken to a recycling facility in Franklin, Massachusetts, where 95 percent of each appliance is recycled.
Pickup is free for National Grid customers, and a $30 rebate is available for program participants. The used refrigerators must be working, and must have an interior capacity of at least 10 cubic feet.
National Grid
Customer Service Center
300 Erie Boulevard West
Syracuse, NY 13202-4250
National Grid
Customer Service Center
PO Box 960
Northborough MA 01532-0960
Tel: 1-800-322-3223
www.nationalgridus.com/index.asp
Tags: JACO Environmental, National Grid, used refrigerators, appliance recycling, clean empty
