New fridge? What to do with the old?
Montreal, January 23, 2017 - In the popular after-Christmas sales, "cold" appliances - including refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and wine cellars - are among the most sought-after bargains among Quebec consumers.
With the delivery these days of their new devices, many citizens will dispose of old cold appliances and RECYC-QUÉBEC takes the opportunity to remind them of the importance of disposing of them in a safe and responsible manner.
The environmental impact of throwing appliances
Did you know that an obsolete refrigerator that is poorly recovered risks generating as much CO2 as a car that travels about 17,000 kilometers, more than the average annual number of Quebec drivers? The vast majority of these old appliances contain halocarbons, compounds that have major impacts on global warming, while some freezers manufactured before the year 2000 even contain mercury, a highly toxic substance.
What to do to get rid of cold appliances?
Although some retailers of household appliances and municipalities entrust their appliances to refrigerators who recover the gases from the refrigerant circuit, very few are concerned about the treatment of gases contained in insulating foams or other polluting components. Since 2013, the FrigoResponsable ™ recovery program has been managing the recovery and recycling of refrigerators, freezers and other refrigeration appliances. This program is the only one to use technology that recycles up to 96% of refrigerant components. It is also the only process that captures and destroys 99.99% of halocarbons contained in appliances, including foam insulation. The latter contains up to four times more gas than the refrigerant circuit itself!
For more information, please visit http://www.frigoresponsable.ca/.
RECYC-QUEBEC
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514 351-7838
medias@recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca