Save up to $125 a Year on your Energy Bill
You can save up to $125 a year when you get rid of your old, energy-guzzling fridge or freezer and replace your dated appliance with one that is Energy Star rated—you’re modernizing your kitchen, reducing your energy bills and saving the planet in one fell swoop. Congratulations! Your awesomeness knows no bounds… now what to do with the old fridge?
We know you’re really nice, but giving it to a friend or family member really isn’t doing them any favours; it will merrily run up their electricity bill by using two to three times more electricity than a new fridge. You also need to keep in mind that your old appliances (fridges, freezers, ACs and dehumidifiers) could be filled with mercury, oil, CFCs and throw in a side of PCBs for good measure. This means you can’t just chuck it out; it must be responsibly recycled of course! When it comes to recycling your old appliances fear not, eco-crusader, ARCA Canada and the saveONenergy program has got your back.
What is ARCA Canada?
ARCA Canada is an Oakville-based organization that responsibly recycles your old fridges, freezers, dehumidifiers and air conditioners for FREE* as part of the province-wide saveONenergy program.
In a word, ARCA rocks. I recently took a tour of their facilities and was impressed by the care they take to ensure that every element of the appliance is properly recycled or disposed of, their ethical approach, their ingenuity and the fact that they are just really nice guys.
Breaking it down
The mechanism that switches the light on every time you open your fridge or freezer is triggered by a small bead of mercury. Mercury is a highly toxic substance and even this small amount is capable of polluting an eight-hectare lake.
At ARCA, the mercury capsule is carefully removed for processing. Oil is drained from the fridge by drilling two small holes into the compressor. Your fridge or freezer (no matter the age) contains CFCs which, when released, deplete the ozone layer or contribute to global warming, depending on the kind of CFC. At ARCA, these dangerous gases are collected and stored in a tank and later disposed of in an incinerator.
The body of the appliance is then separated into different materials like copper, steel, aluminium and plastic, which are all recycled. ARCA is able to recycle an amazing 95% of the materials that make up each appliance.
Old fridges and freezers are enormously wasteful when it comes to energy and they are detrimental to the environment when not processed responsibly. Do yourself and Mother Nature a favour and get an Energy Star appliance. If your appliance is eligible, contact saveONenergy for a possibly FREE* (yes, that’s how nice they are) pickup of your old appliance and feel great about the fact that it will be responsibly recycled. Don’t want to give the beer fridge? Just think how much beer you could buy with an extra $125 a year!
Want another reason to get rid of your old fridge and/or freezer now? You can also earn 100 AIR MILES reward miles when you register online and get rid of your qualifying fridge and/or freezer through the saveONenergy Fridge & Freezer Pickup Program. Register online at saveonenergyrewards.ca and call 1-877-797-9473 to book your pickup. Terms and conditions apply.
STOP! Its Hammer Time… Check out this rad video of the Arca bailer kicking refrigerator butt.
*check saveONenergy to see if your appliance is eligible for free pick-up.
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