GE Waste Recycles Appliance Materials

General Electric Appliances, in a partnership with Appliance Recycling Centers of America, has reached a milestone of diverting 5.5 million pounds, equal to roughly 100,000 units, of refrigerators and freezers from landfills. It is estimated that over nine million refrigerators end up as disposed waste in landfills every year.

The two companies recently released a report stating that close to ninety percent of the materials in the appliance has been waste recycled and will be reused in new products. The remaining materials that cannot be reused is being utilized in cement manufacturing. Almost 100% of the foam used to insulate the appliances is being recovered and reused.

The GE appliances are broken apart at a recycling center in Philadelphia using a 40-foot-tall device that dismantles and reduces each unit into smaller pieces. The recycling program is currently available to new GE appliance consumers in a twelve-state region along the eastern coast of the US. When purchasing a new refrigerator or freezer the participating retailer will remove the old appliance for recycling.

WasteCare Wants You to Remember: When your business waste recycles and reuses materials, you cut back on the amount you need to spend on new, raw materials. This allows you to potentially increase profit or reduce prices for consumers. Is your business throwing money away with your trash?