Appliance Recycling

Make Room for Savings

A spare refrigerator or freezer in your basement or garage could be wasting up to 1,200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy and nearly $150 in electric costs every year. When you recycle your old appliances, you’ll not only free up space in your home, but also save energy and money for years to come.

SMECO and Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. are working together to recycle inefficient refrigerators, freezers, room air conditioning units, and dehumidifiers in the SMECO service territory to reduce energy consumption and reclaim usable materials from old appliances.

Let us help you save energy and money by picking up your old refrigerator or freezer — at no additional cost to you and get a $50* rebate.

• Get an additional $25* rebate if you also recycle an old, working room air conditioner or dehumidifier at the same time as your refrigerator or freezer.

*Rebates will be mailed to you within four to six weeks after pick-up of your old appliance.

Have questions? Give us a call a (877) 818-4094.

Eligibility

• You must be a residential SMECO customer-member with a valid account number
• You must own the refrigerator, freezer, room air conditioner, or dehumidifier. The refrigerator or freezer must be 10 to 30 cubic feet
• Your appliances must be in working condition
• The refrigerator, freezer, and/or dehumidifier must be cleaned out, and room air conditioner must be removed from a window before pick-up
• Your appliances will be picked up, at no charge, from the service address listed on your residential account
• Ensure that the refrigerator or freezer is secured and cannot be opened by children
• An adult age 18 or older must be home to sign for the unit pick-up
• Elevator access is required for any unit located above the second floor
• There must be a clear and safe passage for unit removal. We cannot remove railings or move furniture
• Limit of 2 large appliances (refrigerators, freezers) and 2 small appliances (room air conditioners, dehumidifiers) per SMECO residential account per year
• You must schedule your refrigerator or freezer pick-up for us to pick up your air conditioner or dehumidifier at the same time
• If you have scheduled an in-home pickup, our team will need to enter your home to collect your
  appliance. Masks can be worn by our team upon request. If you prefer to maintain your distance,
  you may schedule an outdoor pickup so you can stay inside your home while our team removes
  your appliance(s).

Upgrade for More Savings

Maximize your savings by upgrading to a new, energy-efficient refrigerator. Replace your old model with a new ENERGY STAR® certified model and you could:

• Use half as much energy
• Save as much as $260 over the next five years
• Reduce your carbon footprint by 7,900 pounds
• Get more details about ENERGY STAR®’s Flip Your Fridge Program.
• Learn more about the Environmental Protection Agency’s Responsible Appliance Disposal Program

Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program

What is RAD?

RAD is a voluntary partnership program that works with utilities, retailers, manufacturers, state and local government agencies, and others to collect and dispose of refrigerated appliances using best environmental practices. RAD Partners work to protect the environment and health of communities by going beyond federal requirements to protect Earth’s climate and ozone layer. As a result of their commitments, RAD Partners prevent emissions that are harmful to the environment, avert the release of hazardous substances, save landfill space through recycling, and reduce energy consumption.

Benefits of RAD in Your Community

• RAD Partners protect the environment and the health of neighboring communities by keeping recyclable materials out of landfills and ensuring the proper handling and disposal of hazardous materials
• Permanent retirement of old, inefficient units saves energy. The removal of an old refrigerator could save you up to $50 a year in energy costs!
  The proper recycling of refrigerated appliances and the handling of insulation foam protects the Earth’s ozone layer – and you – by preventing the release of ozone-depleting substances into the atmosphere
• The RAD Program also helps mitigate climate change by reducing emissions of potent greenhouse gases

Proper Disposal

Properly disposing of:

• 1 refrigerator – equivalent to 35 incandescent lamps switched to LEDs
• 100 refrigerators – equivalent to charging 11,691,430 phones
• 1,000 refrigerators – equivalent to 110 homes’ energy use for one year

Environmental Benefits of RAD

Ever wondered what all the components in your refrigerator are made of? Are they harmful? The following list explains the different components of a refrigerated appliance and why environmentally responsible recycling, done the RAD way, is so important.

• The proper recovery of refrigerant and insulation foam helps to protect Earth’s climate and ozone layer  – Refrigerators circa 1998 or earlier contain refrigerants and foams blowing agents that are both potent ozone depleting substances (ODS) and greenhouse gases (GHGs)!
  • Recovering and disposing of the foam from 1,000 refrigerators is equivalent to avoiding the GHG emissions from 115 cars driven in one year
• Properly recovering and disposing of used oil, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and mercury-containing components in old appliances helps avoid risks to human health, including:
  • Carcinogenic and other effects from exposures to PCBs
  • Impaired neurological development and other problems with the nervous system from exposure to mercury
  • Damage to the liver, brain, and immune and reproductive systems from exposure to used oil
• Nearly all the durable materials that make up a refrigerator can by recycled – Recovering and recycling these materials protects the environment and the health of communities by keeping materials out of landfills and ensuring the proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste
• The energy savings associated with the permanent retirement of 1,00 old refrigerators is equivalent to avoiding the GHG emissions from charging more than 63 million smartphones
• The removal of an old, inefficient refrigerator could save you up to $50 a year in energy costs!

SMECO is a U.S. EPA RAD Partner.

EmPOWER Maryland programs are funded by a charge on your energy bill. EmPOWER programs can help you reduce your energy consumption and save you money. Learn more about EmPOWER and how you can participate.