MiSustainable Holland: HBPW will double certain rebates in November and December

Do you have Freon appliances sitting around your home that you don’t need? They could be worth money.

Having that extra fridge at Thanksgiving sure is nice, but it could be costing you up to $11 a month. And that freezer chest that only has a few items inside can cost up to $8 a month. The mini-fridge left over from your college days? Over $3 a month. Add them together and that's over $250 a year you could be saving just by recycling items you don’t need.

The Holland Board of Public Works is here to help you be more efficient — and to give you a bonus for it.

For years, we've paid our electric customers for recycling working refrigerators, mini-fridges, freezers, dehumidifiers, and window air conditioners, which we'll also pick up. We're excited to announce that, for the months of November and December, we're doubling the rebate amount.

To be eligible for our appliance recycling program, you must be a Holland BPW electric customer (residential or business) and the appliance must be in working condition. You can recycle up to two large items (refrigerator and freezer) and two small items (mini-fridge, dehumidifier, and window air conditioner) per year.

Your rebate will be processed as a credit on your Holland BPW electric bill.

Rebates through the end of the year include:

• Refrigerator - $100

• Freezer - $100

• Mini-Fridge - $50

• Dehumidifier - $30

• Window Air Conditioner - $30

The convenience of Freon-containing appliances is indispensable. However, this convenience comes with a responsibility: one that extends beyond daily use and into the realm of environmental stewardship.

Freon or hydrochlorofluorocarbons are compounds used as a refrigerant in cooling appliances. The improper disposal of Freon-containing appliances poses a significant threat to the environment.

When these appliances reach the end of their lifecycle and are discarded without proper care, the Freon they contain is released into the atmosphere. Once released, Freon depletes the ozone layer and negatively impacts the environment.

By recycling Freon-containing appliances, we actively participate in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and preservation of the ozone layer.

If you have older Freon-containing appliances in your home that aren't Energy Star rated, they're inefficient and use more energy to run, which in turn costs you more money.

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Holland BPW also has many ENERGY STAR appliance rebates available for customers buying new. Visit hollandbpw.com to learn more.

To recycle and receive a rebate, contact Mike’s Junk Hauling at 616-405-9889 or email us at recycling@hollandbpw.com. Please have your account number ready.

— Jennifer Soukhome is community energy services specialist for the Holland Board of Public Works.

About This Series: MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives.This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme: Smart Energy: We need to use both conservation and efficiency measures to manage our resources to provide access to reliable and cost-effective energy.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: MiSustainable Holland: HBPW will double certain rebates in November and December