Responsible Appliance
/~ Disposal Program
&RAD«
10™ Anniversary of the
Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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This special 10th anniversary report celebrates the past, present,
and future of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) program.
What is RAD?
The RAD program is a partnership that was launched in October 2006
to reduce emissions of ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and their
substitutes to protect the ozone layer, reduce waste, and provide additional
environmental benefits. The RAD program recognizes partners that commit
to collecting and disposing of old refrigerated appliances using the best
environmental practices available and going beyond what is required
by federal law.
EPA requires recovery of ODS refrigerant prior to appliance disman-
tling or disposal. Federal law also requires proper management and
storage of universal waste (e.g., mercury), used oil, and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) prior to appliance disposal or recycling. However,
federal regulations do not require the recovery of appliance foam, which
contains substances that are potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) and that
may, depending on the vintage of the unit, also deplete the ozone layer.
Furthermore, up to 25 percent of disposed refrigerators/freezers are
resold onto the secondary market; the continued use of these older, less
efficient models demands more energy from the nation's grid.
Partners in EPA's RAD program implement best practices for the disposal
of these units including:
• Recovering appliance foam
• Complying with laws on the recovery of refrigerant, used oil,
mercury, and PCBs
• Promoting recycling of all durable goods
• Promoting the permanent retirement of old, inefficient appliances
to save energy
As a result of their commitments, RAD partners prevent emissions
that are harmful to the environment, prevent the release of hazardous
substances, save landfill space through recycling, and reduce energy
consumption.
CONSUMERS
Refrigerators
Freezers
Window Air Conditioners
Dehumidifiers
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RAD PARTNERS
Utilities
Retailers
Manufacturers
State and Local Governments
Others
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Foam
APPLIANCE RECYCLERS
Reclamation
Destruction
Reclamation
• Destruction
Metals, Plastics, ~ Recycling
Glass
PCBs, Used Oil,
Mercury
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Refrigerant
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Proper
Disposal
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BENEFITS
Prevents Emissions of
ODS and GHGs
Prevents Release of
Hazardous Substances
Saves Landfill Space
through Recycling
Reduces Energy
Consumption
10"' Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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How does RAD Work?
The RAD program invites utilities, retailers, manufacturers, state and local governments, and
other qualifying organizations to become partners. The RAD program also invites states to
become RAD affiliates to promote the program to potential partners and increase environmental
benefits for their states and communities. In 2016, RAD's 49 partners and 2 state affiliates serviced
the 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In 2017, the RAD program welcomed
two new partners servicing Kentucky and Pennsylvania and began collaborating with existing
partners to increase RAD engagement in their communities through appliance turn-in events.
MAP OF RAD PARTNERS AND AFFILIATES
States with 1 RAD Partner
States with 2 RAD Partners
States with 3 RAD Partners
States with 4 RAD Partners
States with 5 RAD Partners
States with 6 RAD Partners
States with 7 RAD Partners
States with 8 RAD Partners
Utilities
Retailers
Affiliates
States
Manufacturers
RAD partners work with recyclers to ensure the proper
recovery of foam from end-of-life refrigerated
appliances. While each recycler uses different
methods for processing refrigerated appliances,
all lead to significant environmental benefits
compared to business-as-usual disposal practices.
RAD PARTNERS
10lh Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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Why Join RAD?
• RAD partners are publically recognized
by EPA
• EPA provides partners with a variety of tools and
resources related to responsible appliance disposal
• RAD helps partners achieve and track
environmental benefits
• RAD provides access to a national
network of like-minded organizations
Sears We see our participation in EPA's RAD program since 2008 as a demonstration of our
strong commitment to the environment and our customers. Sears Home Services has long been
a champion of energy efficient appliances, and we're proud to be a RAD partner and promote
both responsible appliance use and disposal. We aspire to have a positive impact by taking
action to mitigate adverse environmental results while encouraging our industry to do the same.
SMECO. The annual RAD partner meetings have been a great venue for connecting with
other RAD partners and learning about the innovations they've implemented in their own recy-
cling programs. These connections have helped us identify new ways to improve our appliance
recycling program since joining the RAD program in 2012.
Commonwealth Edison. Our long-standing partnership with RAD enables us to
assure our customers that the disposal of each refrigerated appliance is done using the best
environmental practices available to protect the climate and ozone layer.
West Virginia Department of Environmental
Protection. West Virginia was the first state affiliate to join the RAD program in 2010.
We are proud to promote the reduction of ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases
from old appliances through the West Virginia Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program.
The publicity we have received from the RAD program has helped spread awareness about
appliance recycling efforts in our state.
City of Burbank Water and Power. Since partnering with RAD in 2008, we've
been able to save energy through encouraging the responsible disposal of refrigerated appli-
ances. Our marketing efforts—including our website, social media, utility bill inserts, and
newsletters—have also increased our customers' awareness of the environmental benefits
of responsible appliance disposal.
5
10lh Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
At the RAD program's launch in October 2006, former EPA
Region 9 Administrator, Wayne Nastri (left), honored firms
that help collect and recycle appliances as part ofthe
RAD program including (from left to right): Garth Williams,
Snohomish Public Utility District; Gene Rodrigues, Southern
California Edison; Mark Gaines, San Diego Gas and Electric;
and Jim Parks, Sacramento Municipal Utility District.
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The RAD Program over Time
IN 2006,
Today,
• 8 million refrigerators/freezers,
• 4 million air conditioning units, and
• 1 million dehumidifiers
were disposed of in the United States,
representing a significant source of
ODS and GHG emissions. Nine utilities
representing nine states in the western
United States committed to reducing their
emissions of ODS and GHGs in the first
full year of the partnership.
REFRIGERANTS
2013 2014 2015
¦ HFC BODS
As illustrated in these figures, RAD partners
have historically processed appliances
that primarily contain ODS refrigerants
and foam-blowing agents. In recent years,
however, RAD partners have begun to
collect and process an increasing number
of appliances containing ODS substitutes,
including hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).1
the quantity of refrigerated appliances
disposed of annually has nearly doubled to:
• 12 million refrigerators/freezers,
• 9 million air conditioning units, and
• 2 million dehumidifiers.
Utilities, retailers, manufac-
turers, and states have
responded to this growth by
joining RAD and increasing
the responsible disposal of
appliances. RAD partners now
cover the entire United States, collecting
and processing an estimated four percent of
the total quantity of refrigerated appliances
disposed of in a year.
FOAM-BLOWING AGENTS
1 Since 2012, the number of appliances containing HFC refrigerant has almost doubled, while those containing HFC foam has
increased by seven-fold. The number of HFC-containing appliances entering the disposal stream will continue to increase in
the coming years, as the stock of older chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) units decreases and
more HFC units are retired.
1011 Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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Program Results
From 2007 to 2016, RAD partners collected and processed a total of over seven million
refrigerant-containing appliances, representing an estimated four pe.rcent of the total
number disposed in the United States. This includes:
6,382,700
Refrigerators
656,100
Stand-Alone Freezers
11,900
Dehumidifiers
51,800
Air Conditioning Units
By disposing of these units using the best
environmental practices, RAD partners
have helped reduce emissions of ODS and
GHGs by safely recovering significant amounts
of refrigerants and foam-blowing agents.
In coming years, RAD expects the number of
refrigerant-containing appliances collected and
processed to continue to increase, furthering
these emissions reductions.
HFC-134a
1% I,
HCFC-141 b
14% /
CFC-11
33%
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CFC-12
30%
Refriqerants
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Foam-Blowing Agents
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HCFC-22
1%
HFC-134a
20%
7
10"' Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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A Decade of Protecting the Planet
RAD partners recover
appliance foam.
While federal law does not require the recovery
arid proper treatment of the insulating foam that
lines the walls of refrigerators and freezers, this
foam contains substances that may, depending
on the vintage of the unit, deplete the ozone layer.
Ozone depletion causes increased amounts of UV
radiation to reach the Earth's surface. Overexposure
to UV radiation can cause a range of health effects,
including skin cancer (melanoma and non-melanoma),
premature aging of the skin and other skin problems,
cataracts and other eye damage, and suppression
of the immune system.
RAD partners promote the permanent
retirement of old, inefficient appliances
to save energy.
RAD's utility partners are committed to ensuring that old, inefficient
appliances being disposed of by one household do not get reused by
other households. This reduces indirect GHG emissions associated
with the generation of electricity and saves consumers money.
Energy Savings
and Reduced
GHG Emissions
KiiiUMhinnni
Handling of Hazardous Waste
RAD partners comply with laws on the
recovery of refrigerant, used oil, mercury,
and PCBs.
RAD partners ensure the proper, lawful handling of refrigerants and
hazardous waste, including used oil, PCB-containing capacitors, and
mercury-containing components. Improperly handled used oil can pollute
drinking water; PCBs may cause cancer and liver damage as well as
have negative impacts on the neurological development of children and
the human reproductive, immune, and endocrine systems; and mercury
exposure may cause tremors, headaches, respiratory failure, reproductive
and developmental abnormalities, and potentially, cancers.
RAD partners promote
recycling of all durable
materials.
Units that are not fit for resale are typically sent to
scrap metal companies, where valuable metals are
salvaged for sale on the recycling market. However,
plastics, glass, and other durable materials are typically
shredded and landfilled. RAD partners ensure that all
materials are recycled properly, saving landfill space
and energy.
1011 Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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Ozone Layer Protection
Older refrigerated appliances that were manufactured with ODS refrigerants and
foam-blowing agents are being retired today and safely disposed of by RAD partners.
Since program inception, the RAD program has avoided the release of:
1,721 Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)-Weighted Tons
of Refrigerants and Foam-Blowing Agents. ^
OZONE LEVELS
Image of the monthly-averaged total ozone over the
Antarctic pole in September 1987 as the Montreal
Protocol was being signed (left) and in September 2017
(right). The blue and purple colors represent areas with
the least ozone, and the yellow and red colors represent
areas with the most ozone.
Reduced GHG Emissions
100 200 300 400 500 600 700
Photo Credit: National Aeronautics
and Space Administration (NASA)
Ozone Hole Watch, September 2017.
31.6 million Metric Tons of
Carbon Dioxide Equivalent (MTC02eq).
Since 2007, RAD partners achieved a reduction of 31.6 million MTCO,eq, which is
equal to the carbon emissions associated with...
• Generating enough electricity to power nearly 4.74 million homes
for one year...
• Over 37.2 million acres of forests in one year—approximately
the size of Florida...
• Or consuming more than 3.6 billion gallons of gas.
10th Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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Durable Material Recycling
Over the last 10 years, RAD partners have recycled rather than landfilled the
following durable materials:
• 909 million lbs of ferrous metals (e.g., steel)
• 79 million lbs of non-ferrous metals (e.g., copper)
• 159 million lbs of plastic
• 25 million lbs of glass
In addition to durable materials, refrigerated appliances contain used oil as well
as toxic chemicals and heavy metals. Since 2007, RAD partners have properly
disposed of:
• ©71,000 gallons of used oil
• 280,000 PCB-containing capacitors
• 160,000 mercury-containing components
In total, RAD utility partners reduced energy use by 23.8 billion kWh.
These energy savings translate to consumer savings of $2.9 billion.
Proper Handling of Hazardous Waste
Energy Savings
10
10"' Anniversary of the Responsible Appliance Disposal Program
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For more information on the RAD program:
www.epa.gov/rad
&EPA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Stratospheric Protection Division (6205T)
EPA-430-R-17-004
www.epa.gov/rad
December 2017
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