Snohomish County PUD’s popular refrigerator recycling program was expanded Monday, so feel free to dig out your crusty old clunker for recycling. It just has to be in working order.
To reduce electricity use, the PUD is paying customers $35 for their old, inefficient refrigerators and freezers.
The PUD commission voted Tuesday to expand the number of refrigerators it will recycle to 3,500 from 1,000.
The now $469,000 program was expanded after it took little more than a day to fill up all the reservation slots for picking up the initial 1,000 refrigerators. PUD officials had thought it would take them until the end of the year to recycle that many.
“We’re very pleased about the enthusiasm and strong customer interest,” said Neil Neroutsos, a PUD spokesman. “We’re hoping we can continue on with the momentum.”
Recycling 3,500 refrigerators could save the PUD about 3.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, enough to power about 270 homes, Neroutsos said.
Many older refrigerators also use freon, which contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere and increases global warming, said Michael Dunham, JACO Environmental’s director of energy and environmental programs.
To have your refrigerator or freezer recycled, call JACO at 877-577-0510.
If your refrigerator is not working, won’t be covered by the PUD program. However, JACO Environmental will pick it up for a $25 fee. Call 800-414-5072 for an appointment.
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