Earn $50.00 By Recycling Refrigerator / Freezer
New Jersey’s Refrigerator / Freezer Recycling Program Rewards Residents
TRENTON, N.J.– The New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU) announced recently that tens of thousands of New Jersey residents have taken the easy step to conserve energy and help the environment by recycling more than 65,000 outdated refrigerators and freezers.
New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program’s™ (CEP) statewide refrigerator/freezer recycling program encourages residents to save money on their electric bills and help the environment by having secondary, energy-inefficient refrigerators and freezers recycled. The program offers free pickup and rewards the resident with a $50 incentive for participating. In addition, residents can save as much as $150 a year through lower electricity costs by not operating an older refrigerator or freezer.
By recycling 65,000 units, participants have collectively saved approximately 650,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, enough to power 4,550 homes for an entire year. They have also prevented approximately 325 tons of ozone-depleting insulation foam from clogging up landfills; prevented 650,000 tons of CO2 from being released into the air; and reclaimed 98 tons of aluminum.
“Garden State residents are sending a clear message that they believe in protecting our environment and energy efficiency,” said BPU President Bob Hanna. “Recycling even a single unit improves your household energy efficiency, and all it takes is a simple phone call.”
The program has become a convenient way to responsibly dispose of outdated units kept in basements and garages. New Jersey residents can still earn $50 by recycling an outdated refrigerator or freezer through NJ’s Clean Energy Program by calling 877-270-3520 or visiting NJCleanEnergy.com/REFRIGERATOR. Additionally, New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program is currently offering a $50 rebate for the purchase of new, select ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators. The program is limited to two units for each household. Appliances to be recycled must be in working order and between 10 and 30 cubic feet — standard size for most refrigerators and freezers.
Once a unit is picked up it is transported to an appliance recycling facility in East Brunswick operated by JACO Environmental. JACO safely removes hazardous materials from the old energy-guzzlers, reclaiming 95 percent of the materials in the appliances for reuse in manufacturing new products. Even the foam insulation is safely incinerated to generate electricity.
New Jersey’s Clean Energy Program provides financial and other incentives to the state’s residential customers, businesses and local governments that install high-efficiency or renewable energy technologies. It is authorized and overseen by the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. For more information about the BPU or its Clean Energy Programs, visit NJCleanEnergy.com or call 866-NJSMART.
–Matthew Z’berg – recyclemedia