Refrigerator roundup ropes its 100,000th fridge

OAKVILLE, ONTARIO - The Great Refrigerator Roundup, a provincewide free program to rid homes of old, inefficient and electricity-guzzling appliances, has corralled its 100,000th refrigerator.

“This is a great example of how conservation adds up for Ontarians,” said George Smitherman, Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure. “With the removal of these fridges, enough energy has been saved to power about 3,000 homes, nearly 100 new green collar jobs have been created and consumers collectively have saved about $3.5 million in energy costs in just one year.”

“Ontario has set some of the most aggressive conservation targets in the world,” added Colin Andersen, president of the Ontario Power Authority, the province’s energy planner. “We’re confident they can be achieved through smart initiatives like this one, and by working in partnership with local electricity distribution companies and consumers.”

The Great Refrigerator Roundup is led by the OPA and managed by 73 local electricity distribution companies, also known as LDCs. The appliances are collected and recycled in an environmentally sound manner by ARCA Canada at its state-of-the art decommissioning facility in Oakville.

Removing older, inefficient refrigerators can help Ontarians save $120-150 a year off their electricity bills – about 10 per cent of their annual electricity costs – if the old fridge is not replaced. Old appliances are decommissioned in a process that sees more than 95 per cent of the material from each unit recycled.

Chemicals such as Freon and compressor oil are safely disposed of and all reusable metal and plastic is incorporated into a variety of new products including rebar used to build bridges as well as engine castings, copper tubing and plant pots.