Anyone doing their annual spring cleaning should consider getting rid of the extra refrigerator or freezer that's taking up space in the garage and wasting electricity.
NV Energy customers who participate in the company's Second Refrigerator Recycling Program can have their old appliance hauled off for free. Plus they can lower their power bills, reduce the amount of waste that goes into landfills, and receive $50 rebate check.
"The goal of the program is to help customers reduce their energy costs and get old inefficient refrigerators and freezers off the electric grid," said Doug Eddie, who manages the program for NV Energy.
Old refrigerators often get relocated to the garage where they are usually cooling only a few items, Eddie said, adding that they can use up to four times the amount of electricity required by new Energy Star models, increasing a household's annual electric bill by as much as $140.
To schedule free pick up of your old refrigerator, call 1-877-289-8260 or visit www.nvenergy.com to schedule a pick up time online. Machines that qualify must be in working condition and have a storage capacity of at least 10 cubic feet.
Since 2004, approximately 72,500 old refrigerators and freezers have been recycled statewide, Eddie said. Program partner JACO Environmental, the company that transports and "de-manufactures" the appliances, can recycle about 95 percent of the materials used to construct the old machines, and safely dispose of the toxins and chlorofluorocarbon gases from the foam insulation.
According JACO, each old refrigerator yields about 150 pounds of metal, 25 pounds of plastic and three pounds of glass. The foam insulation is ground up and often repurposed in the absorbent booms used to clean up oil spills.[[In-content Ad]]
