On July 1st your old refrigerator will not be in the street!

- “It is not unusual to see old refrigerators still in a condition to function on the side of the street during the moving season. The RECYC-FRIGO Program of Hydro-Quebec proposes to all those who will move this year in July to transform this old appliance into money. How?

It is easy to participate

To benefit from the RECYC-FRIGO program, the participants must reside in Quebec and be owner of the appliance. Be it a refrigerator or a freezer, it must be more than ten years old, be connected and functional. It must also be accessible and have a volume from 10 to 25 cubic feet. A limit of collection of three appliances per owner is allowed.

If the appliances abide by these criteria, it suffices to make an appointment by dialing  1.888-525-0930 or by filling out a form of collection on the Internet at www.recyc-frigo.com A specialized carrier will come thereafter to get the appliance at its owner’s place without expenses. The latter will receive, by mail, for each admissible appliance recovered a cheque of 30 $, within three weeks.

Older and more expensive

The older the appliance is, the more electricity it consumes. For example, a refrigerator of more than 30 years old can consume up to 4,8 times more than a new ENERGY STAR® approved refrigerator.

A gesture for the environment

It should be known that the appliances collected within the framework of the RECYC-FRIGO program are recycled up to 95%. The gases contained in the systems and the insulating foams are eliminated in a secure way according to the most strict environmental standards. The recovery of an average refrigerator of more than 15 years, is the equivalent of withdrawing a car from circulation for a whole year, in terms of equivalent CO₂ emissions.

The owners of a functional appliance of less than ten years who wish to part from them should not abstain. Hydro-Quebec invites them to communicate with a community or social economy organization in their municipality which will take the responsibility to make another household benefit from it.

The RECYC-FRIGO ENVIRONMENT Program is part of the total Plan in energy effectiveness of Hydro-Quebec. It aims at the recovery and the recycling of 400.000 energy-guzzling appliances of more than ten years old until its expiry. Started in 2008, it continues until December 2011. For more information on the program, visit www.recyc-frigo.com