SHSC TIPS: Refrigerator Decommissioning
- Replacing old refrigerators with energy efficient appliances is an eligible expense under SHRRP program rules
- Refrigerators are one of the biggest consumers of energy in a residential setting
- Switching to ENERGY STAR® appliances is an important part of a housing provider’s sustainability program
- Old refrigerators must be taken completely off the market and put through a decommissioning process in order to promote sustainability
- A proper decommissioning process claim recycle more than 95% of materials from old refrigerators
An important part of any housing provider’s sustainability effort is to reduce energy consumption. One sure way to do this is by switching to ENERGY STAR® appliances which are certified class leaders when in comes to energy efficiency. Replacing old refrigerators (one of the biggest wasters of energy in a residential setting) with energy efficient appliances is an eligible expense under SHRRP program rules.
Getting an ENERGY STAR® refrigerator is easy as there are dozens of feature-rich, power-saving models to choose from. The energy savings will be almost immediate, but saving electricity is only half of the sustainability story because what happens to the old refrigerator is just as important.
For starters, it is hardly sustainable if the old refrigerator is simply sold or donated as the energy consumption in the community won't be reduced. Sending old refrigerators to the landfill is even less appealing. Besides being made of lots of recyclable plastic, glass, and metals, the refrigerant chemicals used in refrigerators are quite harmful to the environment. Freon and other chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants (CFCs), if improperly handled, are very powerful climate change chemicals. In fact, some CFCs are thousand of times worse than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming, so it’s crucial that they are handled carefully.
In order to protect the environment, old appliances should be decommissioned according to applicable provincial environmental regulations, and properly disposed of. A proper decommissioning process can reclaim more than 95 per cent of materials from old inefficient refrigerators.
Here’s how the industry-leading decommissioning process works:
- The power supply and thermostats are damaged in order to prevent the appliance from being reused by anyone else. The bar code on the refrigerator is recorded so that a record of its decommissioning can be kept.
- The plastic, glass, aluminum, and copper components from the refrigerator are removed and recycled. Mercury switches are removed from the freezer compartments for safe disposal.
- The CFCs are removed by a licensed technician who makes sure they don't reach the environment. If these chemicals reach the atmosphere, the climate change impacts would be the same as running a car for several months.
- The oil is drained from the compressor and is collected for proper disposal as a hazardous material. The compressors are then removed from units with polyurethane foam insulation, but for practical reasons are left in place in the units with fiberglass insulation.
- The remaining shell of the refrigerator is crushed and delivered to a steel mill where the remaining polyurethane or fiberglass insulation is destroyed, and the metallic frame is turned into liquid steel. This liquid steel is turned into building materials and countless other products we use in everyday life.
- The environment is protected. The decommissioning process for refrigerators is remarkably efficient. By disposing of refrigerators in an environmentally-friendly way, materials are recycled, landfill space is saved, climate change impacts are reduced, and housing providers demonstrate their commitment to sustainability.
Want More Information?
Call SHSC Customer Care toll-free at 1-877-733-7472 (1-877-733-SHSC)
or e-mail at customercare@shscorp.ca