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I wanted to hit a topic close to our hearts here at ArchAngel and why weare a Green Company... recycling appliances. Think about it! You ordera fancy new stove.... with all the newest gadgets and widgets but whatdo you do with you old stove? Unless you are like my wife Kimberly andpaint folk art, the only option is to throw it away.... She can turnanything into art, but I doubt your neighbors really want to see abunch of appliances lying around.... so, What are you to do?

Ithought about writing myself about this subject but found a wonderfulwebsite that I would like to recommend. The American Council for AnEnergy-Efficient Economy has a wonderful page which completely explainsthis subject and has great ideas for what to do with your oldappliances. They also explain what happens to our environment when wedo not correctly dispose of them.... I truly could not have explainedthese items better myself. This is easy reading and they have good tips.

Personally,I would like to suggest that you consider having your old appliancesfixed and continue using them. The older appliances were made to lastfor a long time anyways. You can repaint them easily and spruce them upas well as buy new faceplates and covers for them. Got an olddishwasher? Buy a new faceplate. Voila! Shiny new dishwasher...Anyways, here is the information below to answer our latestquestion.... you can also read it yourself at

http://www.aceee.org/consumerguide/disposal.htm

I'mnot sure if the links contained within the paragraphs will still workonce on my various blogs.... so go to their page if they don't. Iapologize, I'm an appliance expert, not a computer expert!

Food for thought.....

ArchAngel

Question: How do I recycle my old appliances?

Appliance Recycling and Disposal Householdappliances, like all consumer goods, require energy and resources intheir creation, operation, and disposal. Environmental consequencesafter disposal may include the introduction of greenhouse gases, heavymetals and toxic chemicals into the environment. Refrigerators, airconditioners, electronics, and fluorescent lighting products poseparticular risks to the environment that should be kept in check;however, consumers should minimize the impact of alldisposed goods by recycling as much of the durable materials aspossible (metals, plastics, glass) and by making themselves aware ofand recovering any harmful substances involved. This reduces the impactof landfill waste as well as further mining of increasingly scarceresources.

Cooling equipment, suchas refrigerators, freezers, dehumidifiers and room air conditionersinvolve refrigerants and insulating foams that release ozone-depletingsubstances and greenhouse gases once in a landfill. Older appliancesmay also contain PCBs or mercury. Newer products (made within the past10 years) do not contain these toxic materials and use refrigerants andfoam blowing agents that are less harmful to the ozone layer, but theystill contribute greenhouse gas emissions. Federal law requires theremoval and proper disposal of refrigerants but not foam products.

Most municipalities will pick up your old refrigerator, freezer or airconditioner with the bulk trash pick-up (you must call the city toarrange a pick-up). By law, the city must must dispose of refrigerants,PCBs and mercury properly. But first, contact your utility and read below to see if there is a rebate or bounty program in your area.

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Electronics, most notably televisions and computer monitors, involve a variety of recyclable and toxic materials, including plastics, glass,steel, gold, lead, mercury, cadmium beryllium, nickel, zinc, andbrominated flame retardants, many of which can be recaptured and usedagain.

Several major electronics manufacturershave programs in place to accept their old hardware, usually as atrade-in upon purchase of a new unit. They are joined by retail stores,including Staples, Best Buy, Office Depot and Wal-Mart, who haveprograms to collect appliances such as computers, monitors, laptops,printers, faxes and all-in-ones for recycling in accordance withenvironmental laws.

Find a local e-waste recycling or donation program by visiting EPA's eCycling page.

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Lighting equipmentis generally not treated as toxic waste, but fluorescent lamps,including CFLs, are an exception because they contain trace amounts ofmercury. Although not regulated at the federal level, several statesban the disposal of CFLs in household trash.

Manytowns and cities offer recycling opportunities for CFLs at localrecycling centers or transfer stations. State requirements andrecycling opportunities vary. To find out what programs are availablein your state or region, go to www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling. For more information about the risks of CFLs, read the ENERGY STAR Fact Sheet (PDF)

Ifyou have a fluorescent fixture in your basement or workroom that wasmanufacturered before 1979, the ballast may contain PCBs that must bedisposed of responsibly under federal law. Go to www.lamprecycle.org for list of national lamp and ballast recyclers.

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Can I get a rebate for trading in my old appliance?

Yourutility may even pay you to get rid of inefficient appliances. Theseprograms usually involve an incentive on the order of $35 for thecollection of old units, either in the form of cash or a rebate towardsan ENERGY STAR replacement. A third party contractor that works withthe utility will either come to you and pick up the appliance, or holda turn-in event where you drop it of. Existing programs predominantlytarget old refrigerators; a few programs also offer a rebate for roomair conditioners. Contractors ensure that the old units are disposed ofproperly.

Some companies that run bounty programs are ARCA Inc., JACO Environmental, and CSG.To bring a bounty program to your community, or for more information onbounty programs, try contacting your electricity provider, your localair protection government official, or the aforementioned companies.

This was really an informative piece.  I had no idea you could get rebates on your old items.  Good post