Moving: what will you do with your cooling appliances?

Hello everyone!

I am Bianca Gervais, an actress deeply passionate about our beautiful planet and a staunch advocate for its protection.

Today, I am incredibly excited to discuss a topic that might seem ordinary but is of crucial importance: what to do with our old cooling appliance?

To be honest, I have moved more times than I can count (5, 6, 10 times, who knows?!). Fortunately, I managed to keep my refrigerator through all these moves, except the last one. And that’s when it hit me: what should I do with this old fridge that no longer works?

As a responsible citizen striving to make environmentally friendly choices, I conducted some research and discovered GoRecycle, a fantastic non-profit organization dedicated to the responsible recycling of refrigerating and air conditioning appliances. Not only did they answer all my questions, but they also provided me with numerous practical solutions!

Can you imagine all the materials hidden in these old fridges?

We are talking about highly harmful substances for the environment, such as polyurethane insulating foam, contaminated gases and oils, and sometimes even mercury!

When these are left in nature, on the sidewalk, or recycled improperly, it generates and releases a ton of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Yes, a ton!

July 1^st is a critical day for GoRecycle, as it coincides with many people moving. Unfortunately, it is also a time when many household appliances are abandoned on the streets.

Fortunately, the organization provides us with all the tips we need to act responsibly.

Today, I am sharing my top 5 best practices for responsibly disposing of a refrigerating or air conditioning appliance:

1. Give your appliance a second life by donating or selling it if it still works. Your old fridge could still be of great use to someone else.
2. Before discarding a defective appliance, consider having it repaired. You will save money and help reduce the use of new resources. And, admit it, there’s a certain pride in giving an old appliance a second chance.
3. If your appliance cannot be repaired, recycle it responsibly. Take it to one of the 330 official GoRecycle drop-off points.
4. If you purchase a new appliance, hand over the old one to the retailer when buying the new appliance. Most retailers collaborate with GoRecycle to collect and recycle your old refrigerator or freezer when you purchase a new one.
5. Finally, if you plan to buy a second-hand appliance to replace your old one, turn to partners of GoRecycle’s GoReuse program.

By adopting these good practices, we can all make a positive difference for the planet. So, if you want to learn more about the responsible recycling of refrigerating and air conditioning appliances, visit GoRecycle.com.

Together, let’s do our best for a greener future!

Bianca Gervais