ARCA opens recycling center in Illinois

Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. announced that it has opened a processing and recycling facility in Springfield, Illinois, to provide appliance recycling services for residential electric customers of Ameren Illinois Utilities and City Water, Light and Power, the utility company operated by the city of Springfield.

Each utility is sponsoring a three-year appliance recycling program as a component of its energy conservation portfolio.

ARCA's Springfield facility, which is located in a 23,000-square-foot industrial building at 1615 West Jefferson, is designed with a capability to process more than 300 refrigerators, freezers and room air conditioners daily. At peak demand, the turnkey collection and recycling operation is expected to employ up to fifteen local employees to serve the central and southern Illinois markets.

Edward R. (Jack) Cameron, President and Chief Executive Officer, said: "We are extremely pleased to have this opportunity to open an appliance processing and recycling facility in Springfield to provide services for the programs being sponsored by Ameren Illinois Utilities and City Water, Light and Power. By capitalizing upon ARCA's extensive experience in high-volume, environmentally-safe appliance recycling, these utilities will reduce residential electricity demand, lower the energy bills of their customers and provide significant environmental benefits."

He continued: "In addition, we believe that locating our new facility in central Illinois makes good strategic sense for pursuing other recycling opportunities throughout the region. With the heightened public interest in conserving energy and combating global climate change, we believe that ARCA's Springfield operation is positioned to capitalize on the growing need for environmentally sound appliance recycling services in the Midwest."

ARCA is one of the nation's largest recyclers of major household appliances for the energy conservation programs of electric utilities. The company currently provides appliance recycling and replacement services for more than forty electric utility companies and public power authorities in the United States and Canada.