Wisconsin Starts Appliance Recycling Program

A Wisconsin public energy program has launched an appliance recycling program for consumers and opened a new recycling facility for the project.

The Madison, Wis.-based Focus on Energy, the state’s utility program for energy efficiency and renewable energy, said in a news release the program offers customers a $30 incentive and free removal of appliances that are old and inefficient.

Focus on Energy opened a recycling facility in Franklin, Wis., approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The operation will employ semi-robotic technology to disassemble refrigerators and freezers, recovering about 95 percent of appliance components for manufacturing again. In addition, foam insulation is incinerated to generate electricity. The facility employs 18.

Old appliances must be in working order, clean and empty, with an inside measurement of between 10 to 30 cubic feet – standard size for refrigerators and freezers.

 "The Appliance Recycling Program offers an easy way for Wisconsin residents to make a difference in their home's energy efficiency while contributing to a process that takes pressure off the power grid and creates local jobs," said William Haas, program director for Focus on Energy.