AN EXCELLENT RECYCLING ADVENTURE

ALAMEDA, Calif., February 1, 2005 — Have you ever wondered what happens to those old, taped-up refrigerators spotted at the curb on your street? Do they wind up in a landfill? In a salvage yard?

The fact is, refrigerators picked up through Alameda Power & Telecom's ENERGY STAR Refrigerator Rebate and Recycle Program have a much more exciting and environmentally beneficial journey ahead.

Before you learn what the refrigerator will be doing, it's important to note what it won't be doing anymore, wasting energy and money. An inefficient refrigerator is one of the biggest energy-wasters in your home. Even a refrigerator purchased less than 10 years ago can cost up to $400 a year in electricity. Some of these appliances contain ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hazardous polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), as well.

By contrast, an ENERGY STAR labeled refrigerator meets current environmental standards while using about one-quarter to one-fifth the energy of older models. That translates into an annual savings of between $250 and $350 or more each year. Energy Star refrigerators offer popular features such as automatic icemakers, through-the-door water and ice dispensers, bottom or top freezer locations, and side-by-side configurations.

Alameda Power & Telecom has partnered with ENERGY STAR, a cooperative effort of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, to provide you with the latest information about purchasing energy-efficient refrigerators and other appliances. Alameda Power & Telecom also offers a $125 rebate on your purchase of a new, larger than 14 cubic foot ENERGY STAR qualified refrigerator, as long as we recycle your old one. See the rules for obtaining a rebate.

But back to that refrigerator waiting at the curb. Alameda Power & Telecom takes great pride in seeing that refrigerators are recycled properly and with maximum reuse potential. To do that, we contract with the family-owned company Freon Free. Freon Free has over 15 years experience in removing Freon and other chemicals from refrigerators and appliances for clean, safe disposal.

Before the week is out, Freon Free owner Henry Warner will have collected that old refrigerator for processing at the company's North Bay facility. All Freon will be removed using the latest environment-friendly technology. Then, the compressor will be taken out and drained of halogenated oils. Any other components containing hazardous materials, such as PCBs, will be removed for proper recycling or disposal. In the final step, the stripped appliance is transferred to a steel mill that will shred the old refrigerator into scraps. The remaining metal, once separated from any plastic, can then be used to build other steel products. That old refrigerator gets a new lease on life, a much better fate than taking up space in a landfill or wasting money and electricity in another home.

Have a refrigerator you'd like to send on this incredible journey? Call Alameda Power & Telecom at 748-3949 to arrange for your old refrigerator to be picked up and recycled. To qualify for the refrigerator rebate, the old appliance must be recycled by Freon Free to ensure that recycling is carried out without endangering the environment. For safety's sake, remember to tape the door shut tightly when placing your old refrigerator at the curb for pick up.

For more information on ENERGY STAR appliances, visit www.energystar.gov.