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Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program
Sears takes the lead among retailers to join the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's voluntary Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program. Pictured here (from left to right) Mark Good, Executive Vice President Sears Home Services and Walter Kovalick, U.S. EPA Region 5 Assistant Regional Administrator. For full story, visit EPA’s News Room.
By properly disposing of appliances, we can protect the ozone layer and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As part of the Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program, our partners recover ozone-depleting chemicals from old refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, and humidifiers. Using best practices, RAD partners ensure that:
- Refrigerant is recovered and reclaimed or destroyed
- Foam is recovered and destroyed, or the blowing agent is recovered and reclaimed
- Metals, plastic, and glass are recycled
- PCBs, mercury, and used oil are recovered and properly disposed
As part of the program, EPA serves as a technical clearinghouse on responsible appliance disposal program development and implementation; calculates annual and cumulative program benefits in terms of ODS and GHG emission savings and equivalents and, as available, potential cost savings; and provides partner recognition for achievement, such as through press releases, brochures, articles, and awards.
RAD partners include utilities, municipalities, retailers, manufacturers, universities, and other interested organizations. In addition to public recognition, joining the program may also serve as a way to document climate efforts, and may help partners meet any voluntary commitments or pledges they may have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Partners may also reap additional environmental benefits-in the form of reduced energy consumption-by encouraging appliance owners to retire old inefficient appliances that may consume between two and four times more energy than new units.
For more information on the RAD Program: