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ENERGY STAR Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign:
April 28–July 28, 2008

Announcing...a new, fun and engaging way for you to help your customers shed their old, energy-guzzling refrigerators, lower their utility bills and protect the environment. Led by the U.S. Department of Energy, the ENERGY STAR Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign is a national call to action for owners of old, inefficient refrigerators, and especially old second refrigerators, to recycle these models and if needed, replace them with new ENERGY STAR qualified ones.

Please join in a new, national campaign to motivate your customers to:

Find out how much their old refrigerator costs to operate (in energy and dollars);
Relate these costs to those of a new ENERGY STAR qualified model;
Identify and locate a participating refrigerator retailer or recycling program in their area;
Dial or email the program for participation details;
Get ready...unplug, say goodbye, and recycle their old fridge. And, when needed, replace it with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model; and
Energize and encourage others by sharing their story in the Recycle My Old Fridge Video Challenge, between April 28, 2008 & July 28, 2008.

Did you know?

  • Nearly 11% of our nation's residential electricity is used to keep food cold. In addition, there are refrigerators chilling employee lunches at work, such as office kitchens and teachers' lounges.
  • There are more than 47 million fridges over ten years old in the U.S., costing consumers $4.7 billion per year in energy costs. Over 11 million of these fridges are secondary units, often in basements and garages. And some homes have three fridges!
  • In a consumer survey released in late 2007, 84% of respondents said ENERGY STAR influenced their product purchase decision-making, an increase of 11 percentage points from 2005.
  • Beginning this spring, new ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerators will be more energy efficient than ever before! The government awards ENERGY STAR designation only to the most energy efficient models. Starting April 28, 2008, new ENERGY STAR refrigerators must be at least 20% more energy efficient than the minimum federal standard, an increase from the previous 15% level.

What currently happens to old, inefficient refrigerators? Some are recycled; the steel and other components are used as raw materials for new products. However, many inefficient refrigerators are left plugged in as second or third fridges in a basement or garage. They are also sold, donated to charities or given to friends or family for use. Recycling your old fridge permanently shuts down a wasteful, inefficient appliance. Plus, the steel and other parts of your old fridge can be made into new products — maybe even into a new, more efficient ENERGY STAR qualified fridge!

ENERGY STAR partners are invited and encouraged to participate in the ENERGY STAR Recycle My Old Fridge Campaign. Contact info@RecycleMyOldFridge.com for marketing resources to help you develop your campaign and tie into DOE and partner activities. Campaign elements include a Video Challenge for consumers to tell their own stories about recycling their old fridges between April 28 and July 28, 2008. A campaign Fridge Art Exhibition, to be held in late August and early September of 2008 in Washington, D.C., is also being planned specifically for partners to further promote their good work and spread the word about the need to recycle old fridges in a fun and engaging way. Visit RecycleMyOldFridge.com Exit ENERGY STAR for more information!

For many reasons, the Time is Right to Recycle My Old Fridge! There are many opportunities for you to participate. To discuss your ideas, including partnering opportunities, contact the campaign staff at info@RecycleMyOldFridge.com today — we're here to help!

Thank you for your support of ENERGY STAR.