AHAM's Blog

New Appliances Now More Efficient Than Ever

For most consumers, when it comes to replacing appliances, one of their primary concerns is how much it will cost to operate them.  Over the past several decades, appliance manufacturers have developed technologies that have drastically reduced appliance energy consumption, which has resulted in lower electricity bills for consumers.  For example, in 1991, an average dishwasher consumed 2.67 kilowatt hours (kWh) per cycle and in 2010, the average consumption for a dishwasher is 1.37 kWh – a 45 percent decrease.  In 1990, a typical household refrigerator consumed 916 kWh per year, and by 2010 that had decreased to 462 kWh per year – that’s nearly a 50 percent decrease!    Based on the national average electricity prices, that means replacing a refrigerator from 1990 with a new unit of average efficiency will save your household over $100 per year!

Purchasing an ENERGY STAR unit will save even more energy and utility costs.   Use the ENERGY STAR calculator to determine how much money you will save by replacing your refrigerator.   Also, look at the rebate calculator to see what is available in your zip code.    These rebates can help offset the initial purchase price of a new unit.   There may even be a bounty available in your area for turning in an older working unit.    See AHAM’s database of verified refrigerators to check on the energy usage of the latest models.

A recent article from NewJersey.com provides a good overview of the ENERGY STAR program and how you can cut your utility bills when you make your next appliance purchase.

Americans Recycling 90% of Steel Appliances

Slide 7 of this Time profile, called Garbage is Good: Recycling in America, shows one utility that collected a thousand retired refrigerators during the “Cash for Appliances” rebate program.  But, it doesn’t tell the full story of America’s commendable appliance recycling record.  The Steel Recycling Institute publishes annual recycling rates for multiple sectors, including home appliances.  You may be surprised to know that major home appliance recycling rates in the US rival other large steel using industries such as automobiles, and steel used in construction, topping 90%.  This means that 90% of appliances that reach the end of life in the United States enter the recycling stream.  Studies in Canada show that their recycling rate is the same or slightly higher. And the majority of these used appliances contain metals which have a ready market for recycled materials.    

Other material recycling rates are starting to edge higher too, as consumers become more aware, and the infrastructure is put in place to handle collection and recycling of such things as aluminum containers etc.  In fact, on June 15, the Aluminum Association reported that the rate of beverage can recycling grew to 58.1%.  Kudos to the aluminum industry for making great strides to improve recycling rates.  

So, every time you place something in the recycling bin at the street, call the city for pick-up of an appliance, or allow a retailer to take back an appliance when you purchase a new one, you are contributing to the overall health of our environment. 

More information on recycling of appliances can be found on AHAM’s website, or to find out how you can recycle an appliance by calling 1-800-YES-1-CAN or locate a recycling center online.

Benefits of Recycling your "Beer Fridge"

According to the Steel Recycling Institute SRI, 90% of appliances in 2008 were recycled for their valuable metal.  Tuesday morning’s post in the NY Times Green Inc. blog discusses a “cash for clunkers” type program where states offer rebates for “beer fridges,” which are older less efficient units that could be using more than triple the amount of energy than a modern unit of average efficiency.  According to the post, “Utilities commonly estimate that homeowners can save up to $150 a year on their electricity bill by dumping their old refrigerator or freezer…. In addition, refrigerators made before the mid-1990s may also emit ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons.” 

For refrigerator recycling options in your area, call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.

Major Appliances: Recycled and Reused

Recycling is something most of us do every day when we separate our consumables at home. Recently, San Francisco has taken recycling to a new level by requiring that county residents separate compost from trash!

We most commonly think of recyclables as bottles, cans and glass.   What is the most recyclable material?  Is it plastic bottles, newspapers, glass jars, metal cans, cardboard boxes, or refrigerators?  Well, the answer may surprise you.  Of the ones listed, it is refrigerators and other major appliances that have a combined recycling rate of well over 90%!

What happens to these appliances?  Whether you have them picked up when the new one is delivered, or whether you place it at the street for city pickup, these appliances make their way back to metal processing industries located across the U.S. (or, insert whichever country you live.)  They can be bundled, crushed, cubed, or shredded but the metals will be separated and used over and over again.  Steel is a remarkable material that forms not only the backbone of appliances, but the backbone of our country as well.  Recycled steel becomes the structural steel used in buildings, bridges, and roads.  And, the recycled plastics and insulation can provide energy or day-cover at landfills.

Do you have an old appliance that could be recycled?  1. Inquire if your retailer has a program to recycle appliances that they pick up.  2. Ask if your town or county has an appliance recycling program. (Or, ask: Why not?)  For more on appliance recycling visit: AHAM’s web site or www.recycle-steel.org.  You may also call 1-800-YES-1-CAN.

Promoting Appliance Sustainability

Sustainability and “being green” remain hot buzzwords in 2009, even as the economy cools down.  Most industries have benefited from marketing their sustainability efforts.  In fact, the green building materials market grew 45% between 2003 and 2008 to $57 billion.  

For the home appliance industry, sustainable practices can include designing products to use less, or more natural materials.  It can include reducing energy usage or packaging materials.  It can also include designing products that use post-consumer recycled materials. 

Household appliances have been demonstrating sustainability for many years.  Since the 1970s, major appliance manufacturers have been designing products that show significant decreases in energy consumption each year.  

And, beyond energy, 90% of major appliances are recycled at end-of-life!  The steel used in your refrigerator today may be the same steel used in your new car tomorrow.  Recycled steel is efficient and reduces the drain on our environment by avoiding the mining of coal and iron ore.   

The home appliance industry has made dramatic improvements to appliances over the recent years and is committed to providing high-performance sustainable products for years to come.  Producing and promoting sustainable products is one of the most important efforts we can make to improve our lives, and the lives of the generations to come.

Down the drain!

The average family of 4 produces about 2,000 lbs. of food scraps every year!  Where do these food scraps go? In many towns, food scraps are sent to landfills, where they decompose and create methane- a known greenhouse gas linked to climate change.  However, Milwaukee residents with food waste disposals are encouraged to put food scraps down the drain rather than in the trash.  

 

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District’s (MMSD) unique program to convert food scraps to fuel and fertilizer was captured by FOX 6 in Milwaukee.  Click here and watch “Food Scraps and Energy Savings.”

 

MMSD says that using a disposal allows food waste – which is 70% water – to be ground up and sent through pipes to MMSD’s wastewater treatment facility. This prevents food scraps from being trucked to landfills. MMSD captures the methane generated from food waste and turns it into energy, saving their customers nearly $2 million a year. They also use food waste to help feed microscopic organisms used in wastewater treatment that is later turn into a fertilizer called Milorganite.     

Sounds like a great idea!