ApplianceSmart®, a Long-Standing ENERGY STAR® Partner, Reaches
Milestone as EPA Responsible Appliance Disposal Program Member
MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/
-- ApplianceSmart, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of local
Minnesota-based Appliance
Recycling Centers of America, Inc. (NASDAQ: ARCI), today announced
that the company held a milestone event with the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's (EPA's) Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD)
Program and ENERGY STAR® at its new Eden Prairie retail store in
Minnesota on Monday, October 22, 2012. ApplianceSmart's
voluntary participation and status as the first independent
retailer in the nation to become a RAD partner exemplifies the
company's commitment to providing unrivaled, environmentally
conscious service options to customers while lessening the negative
impact of appliance disposal on the environment.
Through the program, ApplianceSmart properly recovers
ozone-depleting chemicals from old refrigerators, freezers, window
air conditioners and dehumidifiers through its free haul-away and
recycling services. ApplianceSmart also offers free curbside
collection of appliances[1], no purchase necessary, in select
Georgia, Ohio and Minnesota locations, furthering its commitment
to minimizing the number of appliances that enter landfills and to
the RAD program. Local residents may also drop off appliances
year-round at ApplianceSmart's twenty locations for proper
recycling.
"Through our parent company, ARCA, we have been at the forefront
of the appliance industry and have over 36 years of experience in
providing innovative, environmentally-sound recycling services
through each aspect of our operations," said Bradley Bremer, President of ApplianceSmart,
Inc. "Not only do we properly recover ozone-depleting substances,
but we use state-of-the art processing equipment that increases the
purity of byproducts and decreases the quantity of other materials
that generally go to landfills. We seek to offer our customers not
only the most affordable appliances, but also unrivaled service
options that impact the entire community."
During ApplianceSmart's time as a RAD partner, recycling efforts
have avoided emissions of 21,000 pounds of substances that harm the
ozone layer and about 32,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide
equivalent. In terms of avoided greenhouse gas emissions,
ApplianceSmart has achieved the same climate benefit as keeping
more than 6,300 cars off the road annually. ApplianceSmart
has recycled thousands of appliances, keeping nearly 3 million
pounds of recyclable materials out of a landfill.
Melissa Fiffer, RAD Program
Manager from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency office in
Washington, D.C., spoke on behalf
of the RAD program. "Retail partners like ApplianceSmart
demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting the environment, from
their recycling efforts behind the scenes to the educational
opportunities they provide their customers," stated Fiffer.
Also in attendance was Rosemarie
Stephens-Booker, program manager for ENERGY STAR® Appliances
at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency office in Washington, D.C. Ms. Stephens-Booker
spoke of ApplianceSmart's exemplary support of the Energy Star
brand, which allows customers to benefit from affordable,
efficient, environmentally-conscious products in each of the twenty
company-owned stores.
ApplianceSmart and speakers from the event will be in attendance
at the ENERGY STAR® Product Partner's Meeting in St. Paul on October
23 and 24, 2012.
About ApplianceSmart, Inc.
Through its ApplianceSmart, Inc. operation, ARCA is one of
the nation's leading retailers of special-buy household appliances,
primarily those manufactured by Bosch, Electrolux, General
Electric, Whirlpool and Samsung. These special-buy appliances,
which include close-outs, factory overruns, discontinued and
hard-to-find models, typically are not integrated into the
manufacturer's normal distribution channel. ApplianceSmart sells
these new appliances at a discount to full retail, offers a 100%
money-back guarantee and provides warranties on parts and labor.
ApplianceSmart is a proud ENERGY STAR® partner and is the first
independent retailer in the nation to voluntarily become a member
of the EPA's RAD Program. ApplianceSmart currently operates 20
stores: seven in the Minneapolis/St.
Paul market; one in the Rochester,
Minn., market; one in the St.
Cloud, Minn., market; four in the Columbus, Ohio, market; five in the
Atlanta market; and two in
San Antonio, Texas.
About RAD
EPA's Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program is a
voluntary partnership that began in October
2006 to help protect the ozone layer and reduce greenhouse
gas emissions. Partners recover ozone-depleting chemicals from old
refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners, and
dehumidifiers. In 2011, RAD partners properly disposed of nearly
900,000 appliances, helping to prevent emissions of 2.4 million
metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent and about 950,000 pounds
of ozone-depleting substances. Partners also prevented the release
of hazardous materials, and saved landfill space and energy by
recycling durable materials. The partnership has 49 partners
nationwide including utilities, manufacturers and retailers, as
well as state affiliates. More information on the RAD Program is
available at http://www.epa.gov/rad.
About ENERGY STAR®
Launched in 1992 by EPA, ENERGY STAR is a market-based
partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy
efficiency. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the ENERGY STAR
program. Over the past 20 years, with the help of ENERGY STAR,
American families and businesses have saved about $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more
than 1.7 billion metric tons of carbon pollution. To date, more
than 1.3 million new homes and nearly 18,500 buildings across all
50 states have earned EPA's ENERGY STAR certification. The ENERGY
STAR label can be found on more than 65 different kinds of products
with more than 5 billion sold over the last 20 years.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT APPLIANCESMART PLEASE CONTACT:
Bradley Bremer, President - (952)
930-9000
FOR RECYCLING FOOTAGE OR MEDIA INQUIRES PLEASE CONTACT
TIFFANY OLSON, MARKETING AND
ADVERTISING MANAGER - (952) 930-1754
[1] In-home collection is available for a fee, see store for
details. Texas locations currently
offer free haul-away and recycling only with an appliance
purchase.
SOURCE ApplianceSmart, Inc.