Where do old appliances go to die?

Stay away from that landfill! Keep that old 'fridge - or its parts - in circulation.

Reprinted from Recycle Appliances, with permission

he average American family owns half a dozen major appliances. Nearly every household has a refrigerator and a range, and more than 80 percent own washing machines and dryers. Most of these have long, useful lives - typically 10 to 18 years.

Until recently, many worn-out appliances were simply put in local landfills. On January 1, 1994, a California law became effective banning disposal of major home appliances in landfills. Without landfills as an option, what should you do with your old appliances?

Recycle them, of course. Appliance recycling programs reduce the solid waste stream, and also save valuable energy and natural resources.

It's a steel

Most major home appliances typically consist of about 75 percent steel. Scrap steel can be processed and remelted repeatedly to manufacture new products. In fact, old steel is required to make new steel, and manufacturers depend on a steady supply of recycled material. In addition, appliances have other metals such as copper, aluminum and zinc that can be recycled.

All steel produced in the United States today is made using recycled material. Many products produced in the United States, such as appliances, steel cans and automobiles, contain at least 25 percent recycled steel. Other products, such as bridge beams, contain nearly 100 percent recycled steel. Enough appliances were recycled in 1993 to make 214 Olympic stadiums. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, using recycled steel results in an 86% reduction in water pollution and a 97% reduction in mining wastes.

Reapply appliances

Recycling appliances reduces waste and save energy. However, recycling is only one of the important elements in the three R's - reduce, reuse and recycle. Another option is reuse.
If an appliance works or needs only minor repair, donate it to a local charity or thrift store. Reuse of a working appliance helps benefit those who can't afford a new one. If you need assistance finding a charity or a thrift store, call The Recycling Hotline at (619) 467-0903 or (800) 237-2853.

Recycling tips

The most common recyclable household appliances are refrigerators, freezers, ranges, ovens, cook tops, clothes washers and dryers, dishwashers, dehumidifiers, room air conditioners and trash compactors. Call and check with a recycler to find out which appliances they accept.

Make sure your old appliance is handled properly by dealing with a reputable recycler.
When purchasing a new appliance, ask the store if it will remove the old unit, and recycle or resell it, when delivering the new one.
Don't be an illegal dumper - others will follow your example. Research shows that some people will dump and litter where materials have already accumulated.
When purchasing a new appliance, buy one that is energy-efficient and designed for recycling.

Pumping gas

Some of the home appliances, such as refrigerators, air conditioners and dehumidifiers, contain chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that, when released, can be harmful to the ozone layer. As of July 1, 1992, CFCs must be recovered from an appliance by a trained technician before recycling. Most appliance recycling centers have trained technicians on site. Be sure that your recycler provides this service.

Take it away...

Non-working appliances are collected at recycling centers and brought to scrap recycling facilities. After CFCs and other components have been removed by a trained technician, the appliance is either baled or shredded. Metals such as copper are separated manually before the shredding process. After shredding, the steel is magnetically separated and shipped to mills where it can be made into new products. The remaining material (called "fluff") can be put in a landfill or burned in a resources recovery plant.

"Recycle Appliances" is a publication created by the partnership of I Love a Clean San Diego County, Inc, and City of San Diego Environmental Services Department, The Steel Recycling Institute and San Diego Gas and Electric.

County Appliance Recycling Centers

                               Will
                               Remove     Charges
Appliance Recyclers            CFCs       (subject to change)
* Ah-Ha! Appliance Recycling    Yes       $20-40 for RF
5466 Lea St., San Diego        (only
265-2155                         RF)

* Albies Appliance Installation  No       $10 for all non-working
2253 S. Santa Fe, Ste E Vista
727-2433

All-Ways Recycling               No
3055 Commercial St., San Diego	
238-6740

Borrego Springs Landfill         No       $20 for all appliances
Recycling Center
2449 Palm Cyn. Rd, Borrego Springs
974-2661

California Metals	                Yes      $5 for appliances. No RF.
297 S. Marshall Ave. El Cajon
444-3111

CalWest Appliance Exchange       Yes      $15 for any CFC removal
5869 Market St., San Diego
264-4242

Ecology Scrap Metal Division     Yes
981 Heritage Rd., San Ysidro
661-1148

Escondido Recycling
1350 W. Mission Rd., Escondido   Yes      Call for prices
745-4832

* Fallbrook Recycling Center     Yes      Call for prices
418 W. Aviation Road, Fallbrook
728-6114

Lee's Iron & Metal               No
1315 Lee Dr., Vista
724-1330

Miramar Recycling Center         Yes      $10 all CFC appliances
5165 Convoy St., San Diego
268-8971

Otay Buyback Center              Yes
1751 Maxwell Rd., Chula Vista
421-9494

Pacific Steel Inc                No
1700 Cleveland Ave., National City	
474-7081

Paul Brown                       No
149 Redd Ct., Chula Vista
425-7197

Ramona Landfill                  No       $20 for all appliances
20630 Pamo Rd., (near Burma Rd.)
974-2661

Rancho Recycling Center          No
2555 Sweetwater Springs Blvd, Spring Valley
670-7500

San Marcos Recycling	            Yes      $20 for all appliances
1595 Questhaven Rd., San Marcos
974-2661

Universal Recycling              Yes      $5 for RF,FR,WH
14494 Mast Blvd., Santee                        over 50 gal
448-4295


County Bin Sites

                               Will
                               Remove     Charges
Appliance Recyclers            CFCs       (subject to change)
Alpine - Barrett Junction        Yes      $5 for first
1090 Barrett Lake Rd.,                    $20 each after
(9 miles north off Hwy 94)
974-2661

Boulevard                        Yes      $5 for first,
41907 Old Hwy 80                          $20 each after
(1/2 mile west of McCain Valley Rd.)
974-2661

Campo                            Yes     $5 for first,
1515 Buckman Springs Rd.                 $20 each after
(1 mi north of Nwy 94 at Cameron Crns)
974-2661

Julian                           Yes     $5 for first,
500 Pleasant View Dr.                    $20 each after
(east of Hwy 79, SE of Julian)
974-2661

Ocotillo Wells                   Yes      $5 for first,
(north side of County airport)            $20 each after
974-2661

Palomar Mountain                 Yes      $5 for first,
21600 East Grade Hwy (S-7)                $20 each after
(near Birch Hill)	974-2661

Ranchita                         Yes      $5 for first,
Montezuma Valley Rd., Hwy S3              $20 each after
974-2661

Sunshine Summit                  Yes      $5 for first,
34340 Hwy 79, Warner Springs              $20 each after
(west side of Hwy 79)
974-2661

Vallecito                        Yes      $5 for first,
Mile post 34, Hwy S-2                     $20 each after
(4 miles NW of Agua Caliente)
974-2661

Viejas, (Descanso, Japatul)      Yes      $5 for first,
7850 Campbell Ranch Rd.                   $20 each after
(1/4 miles South of I-8)
974-2661

* Pick-Up Service available; call for info
RF= Refrigerators    WH= water heater    FR= freezer