Coolest Recycling Drive collects hundreds of appliances

The organizers behind the Coolest Recycling Drive, which took place during April and May in multiple towns across the region this year, recently announced the final tallies of its collection. In April, Sustainable Warwick collected 149 refrigerant-containing appliances for the cause. And then in May, Sustainable Hudson Valley and others collected 353 appliances, for a total of more than 500 appliances across both drives. Last year the drive collected just 130 appliances.

The organizers attribute the increase in appliances collected this year to various publicity efforts throughout the Hudson Valley, and their partnership with Hudson Technologies, a large refrigerant reclaimer that volunteered to support future drives by performing the refrigerant recovery work at no charge.

Most refrigerants used in such appliances are considered greenhouse gases; the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers them to have “high global warming potentials.” New Yorkers for Cool Refrigerant Management (which worked with the sponsors of both drives) estimates more than 1.5 million pounds of carbon dioxide-equivalent will be recovered from the appliances.

“Our neighbors were so thankful/grateful/happy to do the right thing. Many donors today have kept these ACs or dehumidifiers for years because they could not get rid of them properly. They were so pleased to have the opportunity to do the right thing. Sure, some just wanted these things out of their homes, but most understood and really appreciated why this type of collection matters. It was quite inspiring and touching,” said Susannah Devine, after volunteering for the drop-off event in Chester.

“If you burn a pound of gasoline, it will create 3.25 pounds of carbon dioxide. If you release a pound of R410A into the atmosphere, it will act like more than 4,000 pounds of carbon dioxide over the next 20 years (and a single air conditioner could have a pound or two of R410A). Knowing these things is what convinced me to start organizing Coolest Recycling Drives. I am extremely grateful to all the Coolest Recycling Drive volunteers and supporters, who collected more than 500 appliances and helped illustrate what kind of an impact refrigerant management can have,” said Michael Helme, lead volunteer of New Yorkers for Cool Refrigerant Management and member of the Sustainable Warwick Steering Committee.

In its announcement, Sustainable Warwick expressed thanks to local partners who helped organize and publicize local drop-off events, including the town of Warwick; villages of Florida, Greenwood Lake and Warwick; the town of Chester and the Chester Conservation Advisory Council; the Warwick Valley Chamber of Commerce; the office of Assemblymember Karl Brabenec; the Greenwood Lake Lions Club; and the Florida Chamber of Commerce.