Participate in the Old Refrigerator Energy Awareness Contest at UW

April 8, 2013
Dirty appliance
Old refrigerators cost money and waste energy.

Those old refrigerators on the University of Wyoming campus waste energy, cost a lot of money to maintain and may even pose an ozone hazard.

Recognizing this, the UW Sustainability Committee has launched a friendly competition to get rid of those old refrigerators, and will reward a new Energy Star model refrigerator to the worst offender.

The committee presents some facts to show how old refrigerators waste money and increase the university’s climate footprint:

-- The Environmental Protection Agency reports that pre-1980 refrigerators use $177 worth of  electricity annually, while a new Energy Star model refrigerator will use $33 annually.

-- Old refrigerators most likely contain ozone-depleting CFCs that are especially dangerous to the ozone layer, and must be properly reclaimed.

To participate in the “Old Refrigerator” Energy Awareness Contest:

-- Take a picture and write a brief description of your UW-owned “Old Refrigerator” (made before 1990 and minimum capacity of 18 cubic feet).

-- Email submission by May 3 to Milton Geiger at: mgeiger1@uwyo.edu.

By May 15, Campus Sustainability Committee members will select the worst offender to receive the new Energy Star model refrigerator.

-- The “Old Refrigerator” will be removed and recycled.

-- All entries will be offered free removal of unneeded units.

What you can do after the contest:

-- Consolidate refrigerators in offices, common spaces, kitchens and non-commercial lab spaces.

-- Remove and recycle UW refrigerators/freezers by calling the Physical Plant movers at 766-2409. To remove personal refrigerators, contact Rocky Mountain Power.

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