| GRN Recycle Talk FAQ Answer |
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 98 13:13 WET From: FRIEDMAN.FRED@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV (Fred Friedman) Subject: Re: White goods refurbishing (Colin Crooks)
January 15, 1998
Dear Colin Crooks,
There are several models for the reuse/refurbishment of white goods:
1. the Sears model: Sears Logistics Services and Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. of Minneapolis collect unwanted white goods from Sears customers which ARCA reconditions for resale and which may be on a discount for a new purchase basis from Sears, depending upon the distribution center.
2. the Goodwill model: Not all Goodwill stores do this anymore, but those with captive andy or skilled populations or sheltered workshop clienteles will take and refurbish the appliance, selling it from the Goodwill's network of stores.
3. the Concern, Inc. model: Concern, Inc. was a small sheltered workshop belonging to a social welfare agency in Port Jefferson Station, NY in the 1970s and 1980s. Repairable appliances with relatively high resale value were the training grounds and the selling grounds for the shelterees.
4. The ARIC model: Assn. of Home Appliance Manufacturers promotes white goods repair through an Information and Referral Network. At one point in late 1993 they began a 3 year grant by the US Bureau of Mines and Argonne National Lab to identify recycling barriers and improve the recyclability of major appliances. I believe that their address is 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite 900, Wash., DC 20004
Get hold of The Massachusetts Business' Guide to Reuse put out in 10/97 by WasteCap of Mass. There are more examples of organizations/firms doing white goods reuse in there, but I'm not sure whether they represent different concepts from the ones above.
-- Research Library for RCRA