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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program has recognized 14 partners for their achievements in appliance recycling. The companies received awards for program achievements as part of the annual RAD Partner Meeting Nov. 17.
The RAD Leadership Award winners were honored in three categories: the RAD Champion Award, the RAD Program Growth Award and the RAD Ambassador Award.
The EPA's RAD Champion Award recognizes the RAD partners with the highest rates of appliance foam recovery. The recipients of the award this year recovered foam in 100 percent of the units collected in 2020. The recipients include:
- Butler County Recycling & Solid Waste District - Hamilton, Ohio;
- Consumers Energy - Jackson, Michigan;
- Delmarva Power - Wilmington, Delaware;
- General Electric Appliances - Louisville, Kentucky;
- Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - Los Angeles;
- Modesto Irrigation District - Modesto, California;
- Northern Indiana Public Service Co. - Merrillville, Indiana;
- Palo Alto Utilities - Palo Alto, California;
- Silicon Valley Power - Santa Clara, California; and,
- UGI Utilities - Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
The RAD Program Growth Award recognizes the top three RAD partners with the best annual increase in units processed. This year’s recipients include:
- Liberty Utilities - Salem, New Hampshire;
- New York State Electric & Gas - Binghamton, New York; and
- Unitil - Hampton, New Hampshire.
The RAD Ambassador Award was presented to Sacramento Municipal Utility District Sacramento, California. The EPA says the organization has developed novel appliance recycling program models, including a new approach that recovers and recycles units taken to landfills and explored a partnership with local retailers.
According to a news release from the EPA, in addition to preventing nearly 1.5 billion pounds of metal, plastic and glass from entering landfills since 2006, RAD partners have achieved a reduction of 39.9 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“Even after 15 years, our RAD partners continue to go above and beyond when it comes to appliance recycling,” says Joe Goffman, principal deputy assistant administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. “Their successful efforts to recycle foams and reduce the number of durable goods sent to landfills is having a positive impact on our environment, and we congratulate these RAD Leadership Award Winners on their achievements.”
The EPA says that partners in the RAD program commit to collecting and disposing of old refrigerated appliances such as refrigerators and freezers, window air conditioners and dehumidifiers using best environmental practices.
In addition to complying with laws on the recovery of refrigerant, used oil, mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls, the EPA says RAD Partners commit to recovering appliance insulation foam, which can contain greenhouse gases and ozone-depleting chemicals.
Partners also promote the recycling of all durable goods and the permanent retirement of old, inefficient appliances from energy grids to help save energy. As a result of their commitments, RAD partners have achieved significant environmental benefits since RAD first launched in 2006, recycling more than 9.3 million refrigerated appliances and reducing emissions of ozone-depleting substances by 1,989 ozone-depletion potential-weighted tons.
Learn more about the RAD Program and its awards here.