According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 9 million refrigerators and freezers, 6 million window air conditioning units and nearly 1 million dehumidifiers are disposed of each year nationwide. Courtesy photo
When that faithful refrigerator or freezer finally refuses to cool properly, it is time to think about disposal. But California and federal laws are strict regarding the discarding and recycling of these appliances.According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, roughly 9 million refrigerators and freezers, 6 million window air conditioning units and nearly 1 million dehumidifiers are disposed of each year nationwide.Almost all the components of each unit can be recycled, but the refrigerants used pose an environmental hazard that consumers need to be aware of when it is time to discard these non-working appliances.California defines the coolants in refrigerators and freezers as “materials that require special handling,” including chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluo
