21:36 | 10.03.2010
Landmark Hatfield Appliance Recycling Center Dedicated; Montgomery County site serves PECO, FirstEnergy and PPL Electric customers
The region’s first appliance recycling center, opening today in
Hatfield, PA, will recycle older, energy-guzzling refrigerators and
freezers for PECO, PPL Electric Utilities and FirstEnergy customers. The
facility, operated by JACO Environmental Inc. for PECO, will eventually
serve about 80 percent of the state’s electric utility customers. The
facility is expected to create about 40 new green jobs.
Through PECO Smart Appliance Recycling, PECO will pick up and recycle
older, working refrigerators and freezers for free and pay customers
$35. Also, while there, PECO will pick up older working window air
conditioners and pay customers $25. In addition to the immediate
savings, customers are expected to save about $150 each year on their
energy bills. PECO Smart Appliance Recycling is part of PECO Smart Ideas
– a full suite of programs to help customers save energy and money.
Pennsylvania Department of Environment Secretary John Hanger, state
Public Utility Commission Chairman James H. Cawley, and executives from
PECO, FirstEnergy and PPL Electric Utilities attended the ceremony at
2705 Clemens Road in Hatfield. All three utilities contract with JACO to
run their programs to recycle old, inefficient refrigerators, freezers
and room air conditioners.
“PECO is proud to be part of this historic effort to help customers save
money and energy,” said Romulo L. Diaz, Jr., vice president Governmental
and Regulatory Affairs for PECO. “The PECO Smart Appliance Recycling
program is just one part of our full suite of programs to help customers
understand how they use energy, save energy and, most importantly, save
money.”
Refrigerators and freezers made before 1990 use three times more
electricity than newer appliances. About 95 percent of each unit is
environmentally recycled by JACO, including metals, plastic, oils and
the foam insulation.
“Old refrigerators contain substances such as mercury, oil and
ozone-eating CFCs. As a result, they pose a significant threat to the
environment when improperly discarded,” said Michael Dunham, JACO’s
director of Energy and Environmental Programs. “This new program helps
save energy and the planet.”
PECO Smart Appliance Recycling is part of PECO Smart Ideas, a full suite
of programs to help customer save energy and money. The programs are
part of the company’s support of Pennsylvania’s energy efficiency and
demand response targets – Act 129. Act 129 requires all state electric
utilities to develop programs to help customers reduce energy use by 1
percent by May 31, 2011 and 3 percent by May 31, 2013. Utilities also
must reduce energy demand during the 100 highest-use hours of the year
by 4.5 percent by May 31, 2013. The programs cost residential customers
about $1.50 additional on their monthly energy bills. To learn more
about all the programs visit
To learn more about all of the Smart Ideas programs, visit www.peco.com/SmartIdeas.
Based in Philadelphia, PECO is an electric and natural gas utility
subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC). PECO serves 1.6 million
electric and 486,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania
and employs about 2,400 people in the region. PECO delivered 84.3
billion cubic feet of natural gas and 38.1 billion kilowatt-hours of
electricity in 2009.Founded in 1881, PECO is one of the Greater
Philadelphia Region’s most active corporate citizens, providing
leadership, volunteer and financial support to numerous arts and
culture, education, environmental, economic development and community
programs and organizations.If you are a member of the media and would like to receive PECO news
releases via e-mail please send your e-mail address toPECO.Communication@exeloncorp.com
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