California - All Appliances Being Reclassified?

[ryanw]

So, I haven't looked into this much yet. I got word from one large yard here that all appliances have to be processed by Certified Appliance Recyclers prior to being shredded. This is to remove "Materials that Require Special Handling". Already, refrigerators were in this category with the most important refrigerants needing to be safely evacuated. So, appliances are accepted for free or paid up to $5 a ton depending on where go.

Appliances have been going straight to the shredder forever, but I guess California is starting to enforce these rules now. I talked to the owner of a feeder yard today, and he says this is policy is moving to the other large yards as well SIMS, Schnitzer.

This is going to be a big deal to the every day scrapper that makes money from appliances. Because of the bureaucratic paperwork needing to be done, even if an appliance is processed by a non CAR, they still won't get paid as regular tin (refrigerators are already like this).

What do you guys think? Has anyone else heard of this?

[bpatnoe]

This is starting to happen more and more. The major items are the mercury switch in some appliances

[Repurposer]

I will be at the scrap yard this week. I will ask the guy who runs it. He has a good handle on what is happening in the industry and the current pricing. Since California is the only state involved that is really no suprise. That state has been very restrictive on everything for ever. Remember California has a governent that has no feelings about crushing old 60's Chevelles and Camaros as part of their car buy back program to cut emissions. When the fed's threaten to withhold funds that's when the California's legislature tightens everything up. Every state has the ability to enforce the laws on the books and that includes restrictions on appliance recycling. Here in the Phoenix area it's business as usual. I think Arizona feels if it did tighten up on recyclers stuff that used to pay by the ton and have lots of haulers would pile up and not be hauled away at all.

[bpatnoe]

Even in NH when I sell my scrap metal I need to sign paperwork stating that all mercury have been removed. If I don't fill it out, they will not haul it away.

[hobo finds]

info here on where merc switches are. http://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/hazar.../appliance.pdf

[JohnC4X4]

info here on where merc switches are. http://www.maine.gov/dep/waste/hazar.../appliance.pdf

From >> October 2004 >> 12 years old
I would think there are even more rules at this time

[hobo finds]

From >> October 2004 >> 12 years old
I would think there are even more rules at this time

mostly to post where to find the switches on the appliances

[Breakage]

I wonder if this will trickle own into smaller appliances. I have an old flatiron with a tiny mercury bulb for a tilt switch. It's the only one I've ever found but I only learned about it from VT's version of the doc that hobo just posted. Apparently, it was pretty common, back in the day, to put mercury in all sorts of devices. But are they still a risk, in terms of how many remain out in the world? I would think most of the stoves, chest freezers, and car trunks which contained mercury had already gone to scrap.

[DakotaRog]

Get ready to see more crap in the ditches if people have to pay to get rid of it. Typical gov actions at all scales. They just want to deal with a few big guys in any industry. Fewer people to tell the rules to and the big guys can grease the election cycle. Pretty soon just a perpetual circle of one hand scratching the other even while they have regulatory control over them. A few "spats" from time to time to show that the big guys and politicians/bureaucrats aren't in bed together (like people don't know it already). Where's Neil Young when we need him...??

[bigburtchino]

Here in Southern Cali. I use SA Recycling (own many yards in several states), they are a state certified appliance recycler. There pollicy is to take all appliances, will pay you the scrap metal rate and then they take each appliance and make sure eveything is done to comply with all environmental laws.

This is a very large company and I do think these laws are only going to make it harder for the smaller companies. Also forcing others to go with dumping on the side of the road or on private property. A lot of these laws are made for the bigger to get even larger. I only sell SA my scrap apliances!

[aph]

I think the true concern is, that yards will use the CAR issue as an excuse to dock you big time for appliances.
Gimme a break, no yard here in the area processes jack....
USR does take the freon containing appliances aside and has someone come in and remove it, but everything else goes straight into the shredder.
So the concern will be, that someone that has large amounts of scrap appliances like we do will ultimately HAVE to get CAR certified to get a decent amount of $$ from the yards.
SIMS already tried docking us with some BS CAR excuse when we were exploring getting a container delivered and picked up.
On top of charging us $75 per hour for the driver they were going to give us $40 for mixed shred, while every Joe Schmoe at the gate was getting $55.
Why is it, that the people who do things right always get the short end of the stick.

Here in Southern Cali. I use SA Recycling (own many yards in several states), they are a state certified appliance recycler. There pollicy is to take all appliances, will pay you the scrap metal rate and then they take each appliance and make sure eveything is done to comply with all environmental laws.

This is a very large company and I do think these laws are only going to make it harder for the smaller companies. Also forcing others to go with dumping on the side of the road or on private property. A lot of these laws are made for the bigger to get even larger. I only sell SA my scrap apliances!

[bigburtchino]

SA Recycling does not do this because they want to be nice to us scrappers. They are compelled to by a permanent agreement to coperate with the state of California in all matters of enviromental concern.

They entered into this agreement on behalf of their company as well as Sims Metal Management (the companies have a partnership agreement). SA is Sims west coast operational partners.

I will post the dirty details later.