House & Home
Fri, September 7, 2012
LOUISVILLE, Ky.--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--This week, GE, in collaboration with Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA), reached a milestone of 100,000 refrigerators and freezers recycled through North Americaas only UNTHA Recycling Technology (URT) System. ARCAas (Nasdaq: ARCI) URT machine, a unique 40-foot-tall engineering marvel, recovers approximately 95 percent of the insulating foam in refrigerators and freezers,2 reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gas and ozone depleting substance emissions.
"This achievement represents a significant advance in how appliances are recycled in the U.S."
As a result of this milestone, an estimated 5.5 million pounds of refrigerator and freezer material has been diverted from U.S. landfills.1 Eighty-nine percent of the material has been recovered for reuse for new products, and 11 percent is being used as fuel in cement manufacturing.1
aThis achievement represents a significant advance in how appliances are recycled in the U.S.,a said Brian Conners, president and COO of ARCA Advanced Processing (AAP). aAs a result of our work with GE Appliances, AAP has made great strides toward achieving our goal of zero landfill appliance recycling.a
Roughly 9 million refrigerators are disposed of annually in the U.S.,and only a fraction of those have the insulating foam in their walls and doors recycled. While 90 percent of used refrigerators in the U.S. are shredded for their metal, the remaining foam and other materials typically go to a landfill.3 If the foam from all of those refrigerators was processed through the URT system, the greenhouse gas emissions avoided would be equivalent to the annual CO2-e emissions of more than 2.4 million cars on U.S. roads.4
How the GE Appliance Recycling Initiative Works
As part of GEas agreement with ARCA, when qualifying consumers purchase a new appliance from a participating retailer in the [ 12-state region ], their old unit will be taken away when their new one is delivered. The old unit will then be transported to the Philadelphia-based AAP center for recycling. Consumers can find a participating Retailer in their area at [ www.geappliances.com/refrigerator-recycling ].
Economic Impact
Integral to GEas agreement with ARCA is a commitment to supply used appliance volumes from a 12-state region into AAPas recycling center. ARCA, in turn, has invested in proven appliance recycling technology and has created more than 50 green jobs in Pennsylvania proving how market-based solutions such as these can drive economic success. This initiative demonstrates the potential for future growth in foam recycling technology throughout the U.S. industry.
A Cradle-to-Cradle Appliance Approach
GE takes a cradle-to-cradle approach to managing the life cycle of an appliance, [ from the manufacturing of refrigerators with more environmentally sustainable insulating material ] to responsible end-of-life disposal. Steel recovered from recycled appliances at AAPas recycling center is reused as steel deck bottom plates in new GE locomotives. GE Appliances is the only appliance manufacturer to partner collectively [ in four voluntary Environmental Protection Agency programs ]: [ ENERGY STAR; ][ Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD ]); WasteWise, an initiative focused on waste reduction and saving environmental resources while reducing emissions; and SmartWay, a program designed to help lower transportation-related emissions.
The partnership with these programs is consistent with the companyas ecomaginationSM initiative to deploy solutions for todayas energy and environmental challenges.
"One year ago we helped welcome the country's first fully automated URT System facility," said Sarah Dunham, director of EPA's Office of Atmospheric Programs. "GE Appliances' continued success as a partner in EPA's Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program helps protect the Earth's ozone layer, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and divert materials from landfills."
A long-time [ ENERGY STAR partner ], GE offers approximately 500 ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances, which deliver efficiency and cost savings to customers over product life.5
About Appliance Recycling Centers of America
ARCA ([ www.ARCAInc.com ]), one of the nationas largest recyclers of major household appliances for the energy conservation programs of electric utilities, currently provides services for more than 175 utility programs in the U.S. and Canada. Toxic chemicals and environmentally harmful materials such as ozone-depleting refrigerants, PCBs, mercury and oil are carefully recovered in the decommissioning process for destruction or disposal, preventing them from contaminating soil, air and water resources. The company is also the exclusive North American distributor for UNTHA Recycling Technology (URT), a materials recovery system for household refrigeration appliances.
About GE Appliances
GE Appliances is at the forefront of building innovative, energy-efficient appliances that improve peopleas lives. GE Appliancesa products include refrigerators, freezers, cooking products, dishwashers, washers, dryers, air conditioners, water filtration systems and water heaters. General Electric (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter to build a world that works better. For more information on GE Appliances, visit [ www.ge.com/appliances ].
1Based on ARCA Advanced Processing file dated August 2012 re: Material not sent to landfill
2Based on ARCA Advanced Processing letter dated December 2010 re: PUR recovery rates
3Based on results from a survey undertaken by AHAM as reported in UNEP 2005 and recently reported by ICF International in April 2010 report
4Based on Stevenson Company data and calculations using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency global warming potential (GWP) equivalents: [ http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-resources/calculator.html ]
5Compared to non-ENERGY STAR appliances
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