PECO Smart Appliance Recycling

• Overview
• Recycling Process
• Participate

Learn about the appliance recycling process.

Once your old energy-guzzling refrigerator is picked up, the PECO Smart Appliance Recycling Program team will ensure that it is recycled and disposed in an environmentally-friendly manner. Our trained professional pick up team will transport the units to our recycling facility located in Hatfield, Pennsylvania.

Once the unit arrives at our recycling facility, our recycling technicians will:

• Cut the power cord for safety purposes.
• Destroy the cold control (thermostat).
• Cut all door gaskets off.
• Spray a large, red X on the refrigerator. (This X will indicate that the refrigerator is not for resale.)
• Write tracking number on the unit.

After these tasks are completed, the following recycling steps occur:

Test for insulation

Drill a 1-inch core sample to determine the type of insulation that the refrigerator contains.

Chemical and oil recycling

Puncture cooling circuit to evacuate refrigerant (CFC-12 or HFC-134a) and refrigerant contaminated compressor oils. Heat oils to distill refrigerant and ship refrigerant to a qualified handler; oils can be recycled for use in other industrial equipment.

Capacitor removal

Remove capacitors suspected of containing PCBs and ship them for destruction by an approved hazardous waste incinerator.

Refrigerator unit

Cut appliance into multiple pieces so metal, plastic and foam can be separated. Ship separated plastics and metals to a local handler for resale in recycled commodities markets. Place foam in large plastic bags and seal to prevent escape of gasses.

Polyurethane foam insulation

Bagged polyurethane foam insulation is shipped to nearby waste-to-energy incinerators (an electricity generation facility) for complete and safe destruction. Each refrigerator contains approximately 10 lbs. of polyurethane foam and approximately 1 lb. of CFC-11, a foam blowing agent. Therefore each bag incinerated will produce 15 kilowatt-hours of electricity back to the grid.

Metal recycling

Metal is placed in a large roll-off dumpster and sent to a metal recycler.

Plastic recycling

Plastic is chipped and shipped to a recycling center.

Glass recycling

Glass shelves are crushed and sent to a glass recycler for use as an aggregate in concrete.

Mercury-containing devices

Mercury-containing switches and thermostats are removed and shipped to a qualified handler for recycling.