Recycle Refrigerator For Money

Hundreds of pounds of metal collecting dust in the garage may also be eating up hundreds of dollars a year in electricity.

In effort to reduce wasteful appliances, El Paso Electric teamed up with Jaco Environmental for a new refrigerator recycling program.

“What happens typically is they end up in a resale shop some place and then they get back out on the grid and that’s not what we want – we want to get them off the grid,? Paul Royalty, of El Paso Electric, said.

The program is intended to help conserve energy at power plants, Royalty said.

Nearly 1,000 Las Cruces consumers and 3,000 El Paso consumers are expected to take advantage of the program.

“We thought, we don’t need a second fridge,? Keith Koura, a Sonoma Ranch resident, said. ?It was just a convenient way to keep beverages cold but it turned out to be a little too expensive.?

Koura said he had lugged around a bulky, old refrigerator to three different houses, but it always ended up back where it started ? collecting spider webs in the garage.

Just in time for some spring cleaning, Koura decided to have E.P. Electric simply recycle it.

Within a few minutes, crews disassembled cords on Koura?s fridge and hauled it away.

Nearly 95% of the energy-eater appliance will be recycled and used to make products like cell phones or computers.

Koura said he is looking forward to less clutter and a more energy-efficient bill.

“It was one of the biggest violators on our wasting of energy; it could be up to 200 bucks a year, easily, so every little bit helps,? Koura said. ?We recycle, we tell the kids to turn the TV off and turn off the lights but the fridge was an easy?it’s a no-brainer program.”

E.P. Electric mails consumers a $30 rebate check in exchange for a fridge.