FirstEnergy Suddenly Ends Appliance Recycling Program

Earlier this week, residents in Ohio began receiving calls from FirstEnergy informing them that their scheduled pickups for appliance recycling had been cancelled.

FirstEnergy announced the program back in June which would give Ohio residents $75 to recycle their old refrigerators and freezers or $35 to recycle working air conditioners, mini fridges, and dehumidifiers. The program would also offer rebates for customers to purchase new ENERGY STAR certified appliances, which could have been up to a few hundred dollars for large appliances.

Two residents, who had scheduled pickups scheduled or completed with FirstEnergy, have been informed that the program was being suspended. Leaving some with the appliances they intended to recycle, or with their new and old appliances after missed pickups, as well as missing rebates.

As of this week, the Appliance Recycling Program is still advertised on FirstEnergy’s website. Although, when customers click on the link, they are met with a message that reads, "Due to circumstances beyond our control, our Appliance Recycling Program has been suspended. If you have an existing appointment, we are unable to pick up your appliance(s)."

FirstEnergy issued a statement as well that mentions that the cancelation of the program is due to contractor ARCA unexpectedly ending operations. ARCA is an appliance recycler based in Minnesota that was set up to recycle appliances collected by FirstEnergy.

For now, FirstEnergy’s website states that they do not intend to resume the program.

Read the full article here.