Rosemont residents with an extra refrigerator or freezer are eligible to receive $35 from the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) for each working unit, according to a press release.
The utility company's recycling contractor will pick up a maximum of two units from each home for free, and the owners will receive a $35 check for each.
“By recycling old refrigerators and freezers, our customers can save money and energy and help us build a cleaner, healthier environment,” the press release quoted SMUD Program Manager for Refrigerator Recycling Paula Robertson as saying. “And with free pickup and a $35 incentive, it’s also an easy way to jump start your spring cleaning.”
The units are recycled by JACO Environmental, according to the press release.
"JACO de-manufactures refrigerators and freezers at a Hayward plant through a process that returns 95 percent of their material back into the manufacturing stream," the press release states. "It also safely extracts various toxic components that are found inside refrigerators, including contaminated oils, mercury and CFCs that deplete the ozone layer and accelerate global warming. This prevents the extensive environmental damage caused when refrigerators and freezers are dumped in landfills."
The units must be between 10 and 27 cubic feet, and in working order. The program ends in June or whenever funding is depleted, according to SMUD's website.
More information is available at SMUD's website. Pickups can be scheduled by calling 1-800-299-7573 or by visiting the JACO Environmental website.
