Appliances recycled in joint drive in Valley

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Freon will be properly removed, free of charge.

By PETER H. MILLIKEN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Citing environmental and economic reasons, a steady stream of area residents is participating in an unprecedented joint state, county, city and private-sector appliance-recycling drive.

The three-day drive, which is funded by a $10,000 Ohio Department of Natural Resources grant, began Thursday and continues from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. today and Saturday at Youngstown Iron and Metal, a scrap metal processing company at 3009 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Jim Petuch, director of the Mahoning County recycling division, known as the Green Team, said this drive, which is collecting unwanted appliances made primarily of metal, is the first partnership of its kind that he has seen in his 25 years in the recycling field.

"I'm trying to recycle things. I take things to recycling all the time," said Merabeth Lurie of Liberty, who recycled a microwave oven she had been keeping in anticipation of such a drive. "I just believe in recycling to try to save our planet," she added.

Area residents and small businesses may drop off refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners and dehumidifiers, all of which contain Freon as a coolant. Also accepted will be water coolers, hot water heaters, water softeners, washing machines and dryers.

"We don't want to contaminate the air [with Freon], and we don't want to clutter up the landfills," said Tom Fechtel of Youngstown, who recycled a dehumidifier.

Why this matters

Freon can destroy the atmosphere's ozone layer, which protects the earth's surface from the harmful rays of the sun, Petuch explained. "We don't want it just let loose. We have to make sure it's captured, refined or appropriately disposed of,'' said Petuch, who recycled his own dehumidifier.

A major feature of this drive is that certified technicians are removing Freon free of charge at the drop-off site for refining and reuse in other appliances, Petuch said. "This is the environmentally safe way to handle it," he said.

Free Freon removal is a significant money-saving opportunity for local residents, Petuch said. Removal and proper Freon disposal for a single refrigerator collected from one's residence can typically cost $30 and $60, he observed.

With the availability of recycling drives such as this one, "There's no reason why anything should be dumped," said Linda DeJoe, the city's litter control and recycling manager.

Dr. Fred Dunlea of Youngstown, a retired physician, recycled a freezer. "I had to get rid of it, and this was a good opportunity," he said. The alternatives would have been to hold onto it until another scheduled drive or pay someone to remove it and dispose of the Freon, he explained. "That's expensive. It's usually about $35 to throw something away," he added.

YIM will donate a yet-to-be-determined percentage of proceeds from its scrap metal sales from appliances recycled in the drive to Habitat for Humanity of Mahoning County, a faith-based organization that builds homes for needy people, said Jerry Hickman, the company's marketing manager.

Smaller appliance recycling drives will be announced later this year in other Mahoning County communities, Petuch added.

Friday, March 23, 2007