Come to the Green Side

The information in this blog post is credited to SWANNC, the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County.

Major appliances can refer to refrigerators, stoves, air conditioners, and washing machines. Refrigerators and freezers contain refrigerants, oils, and other compounds that, by federal law, must be removed and recovered. Some recycling programs also capture the foam insulation inside the refrigerator doors for added environmental benefits. The steel, other metals, and selected parts can then be recycled. The average refrigerator aged 10 years or older contains more than 120 pounds of recyclable steel!

5 Ways to Recycle Large Appliances

1. Recycle through an Appliance Retailer Look for retailers that partner with EPA’s Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program. RAD is a voluntary partnership program to help protect the ozone layer and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by recovering ozone-depleting chemicals from old refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Using best practices, RAD partners ensure that: refrigerant is recovered and reclaimed or destroyed; foam is recovered and destroyed, or the blowing agent is recovered and reclaimed; metals, plastic, and glass are recycled; and PCBs, mercury, and used oil are recovered and properly disposed. Many appliance retailers will pick up and recycle your old refrigerator or freezer when you purchase a new one. Ask your retailer for assurance that the old unit will be properly recycled and not re-sold as an inefficient, second-hand unit. Some retailers or manufacturers also offer cash rebates when you buy a new refrigerator. Appliances left curbside might be picked up by peddlers who may improperly vent refrigerant or otherwise dispose of the appliance in an unsafe manner.
2. Check with Your State Energy Office or Local Electric Utility Local utilities (such as ComEd) and energy-efficiency organizations support a growing number of refrigerator and freezer recycling programs. Some programs offer cash to recycle your old refrigerator; others offer utility bill credits. 
3. Ask about Municipal Pick-Up of Appliances Your community’s waste management service provider may offer heavy trash pick-up and recycling programs for appliances as part of your Village or City contract. Check out details at your respective municipal’s website or call for details.
4. Drop-off Programs White goods can be dropped off at SWANCC’s Transfer Station at 3 Providence Way in Des Plaines during business hours for a fee of $25 per item or taken to area recyclers. (This applies to SWANCC communities. In Schaumburg Township, only Elk Grove Village and Hoffman Estates are SWANCC communities.)
5. Local Scrap Metal Recyclers Thousands of local scrap metal recyclers can recycle old refrigerators and freezers. Ask your scrap metal recycler for assurance that your old unit will be properly recycled.
   
   

How to Recycle Small Appliances

Products such as toasters, blenders, coffee makers, microwaves, vacuum cleaners, lamps, etc. can be thrown away in the garbage if they cannot be donated for reuse or recycled through other programs. Additionally, any small item that contains a high percentage of metal, such as a microwave, can be left out on the curb or alley next to the garbage cart for a “scrapper” to pick up and take to a metal recycler. Be mindful of local ordinances.

Jane Rozek
Reference Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org

This fun video by Jeremy Slayton, one of our staff members, is a nice reminder that you can find  Kill-A-Watt meters at the Schaumburg Township District Library.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V16ckxYUi4E

Stop by the Audio Visual Desk on the first floor to check out yours today.

Use it to find the electricty hogs in your house!

The website Wise Bread:  Living Large on a Small Budget, has a nice list of the biggest electricity users in your house.  Here’s the list in a nutshell:

• Old refrigerators
• Old freezers
• Clothes dryers
• Space heaters
• Televisions
• Personal computers and monitors
• Swimming pool pumps

To read their rationale of these items take a look here.

The State of Illinois is pleased to announce the renewal of the Illinois ENERGY STAR® Appliance Rebate Program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO).

This program provides incentives for Illinois consumers to replace older appliances with specific residential ENERGY STAR qualified appliances. 

Point of purchase rebates on ENERGY STAR qualified clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, freezers and room air conditioners will be available for items purchased from participating retailers on September 24, 2010, or when funds expire.

The rebate is a %15 in-store instant discount in addition to any sale offers.  Please note that this program was first introduced in April and funding was depleted in a matter of hours. 

Participating retailers near Schaumburg Township are:
Advanced Maytag Home Appliance Center
Best Buy:  900 Barrington Road, Schaumburg
CR Cabinetry:  716 Lunt Avenue, Schaumburg
Grants Appliances Electronics & More:  400 W. Higgins Road, Schaumburg 
Home Depot:  600 Meacham Road, Schaumburg
Home Depot:   100 Barrington Road, Schaumburg
IKEA:  1800 McConnor Parkway, Schaumburg
Lowe’s:  101 N. Barrington Road, Schaumburg
Sears:  3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates
Sears:  2 Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg

For more information, visit the Illinois Department of Commerce’s website.