Spichers Appliances joins GE’s recycling program

Retailer Spichers Appliances, Hagerstown, Maryland, has announced its commitment to recycle nearly 10,000 appliances annually through a recycling program backed by General Electric (GE) Appliances, Fairfield, Connecticut.

The family-owned retailer will use the services of ARCA Advanced Processing (AAP), a Philadelphia-based company that provides appliance end-of-life management services, including for GE Appliances in 12 eastern states. Spichers Appliance says it is the first independent retailer to sign up for comprehensive appliance recycling services in Philadelphia.

“When you step back and look at it from the perspective of the environment and the future, it’s the right thing to do,” says owner Curt Spicher. “Twenty- and 30-year-old appliances are energy hogs. We need to get these old appliances off the grid.”

According to GE Appliances, for those appliances that don’t meet the cosmetic and functioning test for resale, a typical recycler will recover refrigerant and other materials and substances from a used refrigerator and then send the appliance to a shredding plant operator. Using traditional recycling methods, approximately 55 pounds of a refrigerator ends up in landfills, including the insulating foam and plastics, the company says. Using the GE Appliances’ Product Recycling Program serviced by AAP, landfill waste is reduced by 85 percent and less than 8 pounds of material per appliance goes into a landfill, according to GE Appliances.

“Where a consumer makes an appliance purchase can now have a powerful environmental impact,” says Brian Conners, president and chief operating officer of AAP. “You are making a responsible choice when you purchase from a retailer like Spichers Appliance who is part of a responsible appliance recycling program such as ours.”

According to GE research, three out of four people want all or part of their appliance to be recycled and 82 percent of people are willing to go out of their way and drive additional distances to purchase from a recycling-oriented retailer.

Nearly 2 million appliances have been recycled through GE Appliances’ Product Recycling Program at AAP, diverting approximately 19 million pounds of material from landfills, according to the company. “We celebrate Spichers Appliance’s decision to collaborate in the recycling initiative,” says Mark Shirkness, general manager, appliances distribution and services for GE Appliances, “and invite others to follow [its] lead in recycling by joining the GE Appliances’ Product Recycling Program.”

In addition to Spichers Appliances’ commitment to the appliance product recycling program, the retailer also has partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on its Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program. RAD is a voluntary program offered through the EPA that focuses on what it calls innovative and responsible recycling of refrigerant-containing appliances.

More information on GE’s appliance recycling program can be found at www.geappliances.com/recycling.