Refrigerator Recycling Rebate Program
I recently saw a news article about this program, and thought it important enough to share.
Efficiency Vermont has launched a refrigerator recycling program that offers free pick up of old, energy-wasting refrigerators and freezers, a $30 rebate check, utility bill savings and state-of-the-art disposal and recycling of the appliances.
Retiring a second refrigerator or freezer can result in savings of up to $150 a year on energy bills and many people continue to use their older refrigerators and freezers as secondary units even after they buy a new one. While today’s units are much more energy efficient, refrigerators and freezers manufactured before 1990 can use as much as 1,500 kilowatt hours (kWh) a year, or 12.5 percent of the 12,000 kWh used by the average Efficiency Vermont customer annually.
The old refrigerators are sent to a recycling facility operated by JACO Environmental, a leading, national provider of appliance recycling services. JACO’s process includes the recycling of nearly 95 percent of each refrigerator including metals, plastic, oils and the foam insulation. The foam removed from the appliances is incinerated and the heat generated from that incineration process is then used to create new energy.
For 2009, this service is a pilot program available in a limited area. A statewide program will be launched in 2010 that will offer this refrigerator retirement service to all Vermont electric accounts.
Pickups in the Bennington VT real estate market area are October 17, 2009. For more information, visit Efficency Vermont’s website at www.efficiencyvermont.com
Bennington VT, environmental, community information
