Fridge recycling
Old fridges and freezers are inefficient and costly to run, using 2-3 times more than new fridges. If it's time to pull the plug on your old fridge, recycle it in an environmentally responsible way.
Old fridges waste energy and money
Older refrigeration appliances can cost 2-3 times more to run than new fridges. If it's older than 15 years it is typically cheaper to replace it with a new, more efficient one now instead of waiting until it stops working.
Often second fridges and freezers end up lying around in garages or basements, plugged in but rarely used - which is simply a waste of energy and money.
Your old refrigeration appliance may also not be working properly anymore. If your fridge or freezer is running continuously or nearly all the time, it may be faulty. This can pose a health risk by not keeping food cool enough - and can cost you a lot of money in wasted energy and having to replace food that has gone off prematurely.
- Look whether it needs defrosting.
- Check the temperatures with a fridge thermometer. Freezers should be between -15°C and -18°C, while fridge compartments should be around 2°C to 4°C.
Recycling your old fridge is better for the environment
Recycling old fridges prevents harmful material from entering landfills.
Around a third of all fridges and freezers were made before the phasing out of CFCs, making potentially harmful on the environment. Recycling old fridges means the ozone-depleting gases are removed safely and correctly, and the body of the fridge is stripped and recycled for other purposes.
In the Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, Fisher & Paykel, in co-operation with EECA, run a free fridge recycling scheme. For more details see the Fisher & Paykel website.
Outside the major centres, check to see if you local council landfill recycles fridges. Some landfills accept fridges which are then degassed and recycled for the metal they contain. A fee is often charged to cover the degassing process.
