ARCA To Recycle GE Refrigerators for EPA Program

Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARCI) signed an agreement to recycle GE (NYSE: GE) refrigerators in support of the EPA’s Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program.

GE Appliances & Lighting is the first appliance
manufacturer to join the voluntary EPA program, which focuses on refrigeration appliance
recycling best practices, including the recovery of foam in used refrigerators.

GE will supply used-appliances from a six-state region to ARCA Advanced
Processing’s regional recycling center in Pennsylvania. ARCA is investing in
appliance recycling technology from UNTHA Recycling Technology (URT) that
recovers approximately 95% of the insulating foam in refrigerators, reducing
landfill waste and GHG and ODS emissions as compared to what typically happens
in the industry today.

The URT system includes the capability to automatically
capture the blowing agents, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydro
chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and cyclopentane from
the insulating foam in refrigerators and freezers. GE and ARCA’s initial
recycling efforts will begin at ARCA Advanced Processing’s regional recycling
center in Pennsylvania. The center is on schedule to be fully operational in
1Q11.

Approximately nine million refrigerators are disposed of
annually in the U.S., and only a fraction has the insulating foam in their
walls and doors recycled. While 90% of used refrigerators in the U.S. are
shredded for their metal, the remaining foam and other materials typically go
to a landfill. During the shredding process, a substantial amount of GHG and
ozone-depleting substance (ODS) emissions are released into the atmosphere.

"The potential of this technology is tremendous,"
said Brian Conners, President and COO of ARCA Advanced Processing. "If the
foam from the 9 million refrigerators disposed of annually in the U.S. were
processed through this recycling technology, the greenhouse gas emissions
avoided would be equivalent to the annual CO2-e emissions of more than 2.4
million cars on U.S. roads."