For the next three months, customers of Pacific Power have added reason to unplug and recycle their older, energy-wasting refrigerators and freezers: they can help local families in need through Oregon Food Bank.
Energy Trust of Oregon is offering a new opportunity as part of its ongoing fridge recycling service, which provides free in-home pickup, responsible recycling of refrigerators and freezers and a $40 cash incentive. Through July, customers can choose to donate their $40 cash incentive to Oregon Food Bank, which will help provide the equivalent of 120 meals or four emergency food boxes for those in need.
Refrigerators and freezers built in 1993 or earlier can guzzle up to $200 a year in energy costs, which is two to three times more than today’s more energy-efficient options. These include qualifying ENERGY STAR models that only cost around $40 a year to operate. For households keeping older, second fridges in the garage or basement, the extra costs can add up.
“Unplugging and recycling an inefficient refrigerator or freezer is an easy way to make an immediate difference on the monthly energy bill,” said Matt Braman, residential program manager, Energy Trust. “Now, by working with Oregon Food Bank, our customers have the added option to donate their incentive to help their neighbors in need.”
Oregon Food Bank distributes food through the Oregon Food Bank Network, a cooperative statewide coalition of 20 regional food banks including four Oregon Food Bank branches and 16 independent regional food banks. The regional food banks work to distribute food directly to people who are hungry in the form of emergency food boxes or prepared meals through local agencies.
The Oregon Food Bank Network helps nearly one in five households fend off hunger. According to the Oregon Food Bank, since the recession began in 2008, the need for emergency food boxes has increased 41 percent. More than one million emergency food boxes were distributed last year alone.
“Long-term hunger is at an all-time high in our region and especially affects families, children, seniors and those who are disabled,” said Susannah Morgan, chief executive officer, Oregon Food Bank. “It takes our whole community to address hunger, and recycling a fridge through Energy Trust gives people another easy way to help.”
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Energy Trust launched its refrigerator recycling service in August 2008 and to date has recycled more than 82,100 refrigerators and freezers. In 2012, this helped participants save approximately $5 million on energy bills and 45.8 million kilowatt hours of electricity, which is enough energy equivalent to powering 4,000 average
Approximately 95 percent of the components from each refrigerator and freezer are recycled through JACO Environmental — keeping them out of landfills and the environment. Recycling also ensures that the energy-wasting units will not be resold or handed down, continuing to drain the region’s energy resources.
About Energy Trust of
Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to helping utility customers benefit from saving energy and tapping renewable resources. Our services, cash incentives and energy solutions have helped participating customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas save more than $1 billion on energy bills. Our work helps keep energy costs as low as possible, creates jobs and builds a sustainable energy future. Learn more at www.energytrust.org or call 1-866-368-7878.
About Oregon Food Bank
Oregon Food Bank believes no one should be hungry. With sufficient public will and support of the entire community, we believe it is possible to eliminate hunger and its root causes. Oregon Food Bank collects and distributes food through a network of four Oregon Food Bank branches and 16 independent regional food banks serving
About the Oregon Food Bank Network
The Oregon Food Bank Network is a cooperative statewide coalition of 20 regional food banks working to eliminate hunger and its root causes by distributing donated food to agencies serving low-income people and through advocacy and public education about the underlying causes of hunger.
