Handling difficult materials: Household appliances
At last count in 1990, the US EPA reported that 2.8 million tons of household appliances (often called ''white goods'') were discarded -- about 2% of the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. These figures may not seem particularly epic, but, considering the potentially harmful coolants, lubricants, and insulating materials left behind in these machines, the amount may be cause for concern. Management of these items is, of course, not impossible, just difficult. As more and more landfills turn white goods away, recycling is becoming the hot'' option. According to a study by the Steel Recycling Institute, about 4 million of the 8 million units discarded in the US were recycled in 1992. Recycling figures like these are impressive for any secondary material, demonstrating the strides appliance recycling has made in recent years. Implemented in May 1993, EPA's final rule on household appliance handling mandates that 80%--90% of all CFC or HCFC coolants must be recovered with certified equipment by a certified technician, who must record how the refrigerant is removed and where it is sent for recovery.
- OSTI ID:
- 7114999
- Journal Information:
- Waste Age; (United States), Vol. 25:5; ISSN 0043-1001
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Recovery and separation of high-value plastics from discarded household appliances
White goods recycling in the United States: Economic and technical issues in recovering, reclaiming, and reusing nonmetallic materials
Related Subjects
CHLOROFLUOROCARBONS
MATERIALS RECOVERY
ELECTRIC APPLIANCES
RECYCLING
WASTE MANAGEMENT
APPLIANCES
EQUIPMENT
MANAGEMENT
ORGANIC CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC FLUORINE COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
PROCESSING
WASTE PROCESSING
320604* - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Municipalities & Community Systems- Municipal Waste Management- (1980-)