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Appliance Requirements for Recyclers

Waste/Hazardous #3.02 • July 2010

mproper storage and disposal of waste pages 3-4. Most of the in appliances appliances and their components can are recyclable; some can be sold for profit. Contents have negative effects on human health Background ...... 1 I Permit and notification and the environment. The wastes found in Permit and notification appliances can be toxic to humans, requirements requirements ...... 1 sometimes causing serious health The following permits and notifications Batteries, , complications for you, your employees, will need to be in place before you can mercury-containing and your families. The ground, air, and accept any appliances for processing: devices, PCB ballasts and capacitors ...... 2 that we all depend on and appreciate 1. Recyclers who intend to accept Refrigerants, used oils, in Minnesota can also be impacted by these electronics waste must submit the other wastes ...... 3 wastes. required notification to the MPCA. Additional resources ..... 3 This fact sheet will help you recognize the This requirement is discussed further in More information ...... 4 harmful wastes associated with appliances the electronics section of this fact Table1: Summary of and offer guidance on recycling or disposal sheet. appliances, wastes, of appliances and their components. disposal methods ...... 4 2. The MPCA and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) require Background technicians to be certified in removing Minnesota law requires all major refrigerants from appliances and to use appliances to be recycled. Hazardous registered removal equipment. The materials or components within major EPA issues certification. This is appliances must be removed and properly discussed further in the refrigerant recycled or disposed of before the section of this fact sheet. appliance is 3. Submit a Permit-by-Rule (PBR) scrapped. The metal notification to the Minnesota Major appliances portions of major Control Agency (MPCA). To get • Clothes washers and dryers appliances must be started, complete the Solid Waste • recycled or reused. Recycling Facility Permit-by-Rule • Hot water heaters When processing forms available • Heat appliances, the at www.pca.state.mn.us/waste/swpermi • Furnaces ts.html. Scroll to the bottom of the • wastes generated Garbage disposals Web page for a list of MPCA staff • Trash compactors may be recyclable • Conventional and metals, industrial members who can help you with forms solid waste, and answer questions about • Ranges and stoves , requirements. • Air conditioners • hazardous waste or a 4. Notify the county in which your business is located. County ordinances • and freezers subset of hazardous waste known as may require you to apply for universal waste, all conditional-use permits, locate your of which are explained further in this fact business in a properly zoned area, and sheet and in additional resources listed on pay annual licensing fees. w-hw3-02

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency • 520 Lafayette Rd. N., St. Paul, MN 55155-4194 • www.pca.state.mn.us 651-296-6300 • 800-657-3864 • TTY 651-282-5332 or 800-657-3864 • Available in alternative formats

Managing specific wastes switch on a washing stops the if the lid is opened while it is running. Older boilers and Batteries furnaces connected to hot water or steam heating Appliances with remote controls, circuit boards, or systems may have a mercury switch in the aquastat. digital clocks, and older freezers with electric “power Check gas-fired appliances, including gas stoves, gas- loss” alarms may contain batteries. Certain batteries, fired refrigerators, and gas-fired pool heaters, for including lead-acid batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, mercury-containing flame sensors associated with gas lithium batteries, and silver-containing batteries, must be pilot lights. removed from appliances and managed properly as hazardous or universal You may also find mercury in gauges, To access hazardous waste waste. For more information on publications on MPCA’s Web site: batteries, and fluorescent and high- identification and management of intensity discharge (HID) lamps. Check batteries, see MPCA hazardous waste • Click on Waste in the menu flat-panel monitors and and fact sheet #4.05, Managing Dry-cell bar the back panel of gas and electric • Batteries, available in the Specific Click on Publications in the stoves, washers, and dryers for Waste section of Hazardous Waste drop-down menu bar fluorescent and HID lamps. • Click on Hazardous Waste Publications. Publications in the bulleted Manage mercury-containing devices, a Electronics list universal waste, according to universal • Click on the appropriate waste requirements. For more Electronic waste, often referred to as e- section below On This Page waste, includes appliances with information on universal waste cathode-ray tubes (CRTs) or circuit requirements, see MPCA hazardous boards. CRTs, found in televisions and waste fact sheet #4.62, Managing Universal Wastes, monitors, contain substantial amounts of lead. Circuit available in the Specific Waste section of Hazardous boards commonly contain heavy metals, including lead, Waste Publications. cadmium, and silver, at sufficient levels to make the PCB ballasts and capacitors boards a hazardous waste. As appliances become more Older appliances with ballasts or small capacitors use sophisticated, they are increasingly likely to contain PCB oils to transfer heat and insulate electrical computer circuitry. Remove circuit boards and CRTs equipment. Although ballasts and small capacitors from appliances and recycle or manage them as contain small volumes of PCB oils, PCBs are usually hazardous waste. present in extremely high concentrations. For more information on proper management of e-waste, Manufacture of PCB-containing equipment was see MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.15, Managing prohibited in 1979. Assume that all ballasts and small Electronic Wastes from Business Sources, available in capacitors contain PCBs unless they are labeled “No the Specific Waste section of Hazardous Waste PCBs” or they are known to have been manufactured Publications. after 1979. If you intend to accept e-waste for collection or Appliances that likely contain PCB capacitors include recycling, you must register your business with the those with motors, such as washing , MPCA and report the amount of e-waste you collect refrigerators, dehumidifiers, furnace blowers, and annually. For more information and forms, please visit window or central air conditioners. Appliances the MPCA Web page for e-waste recyclers. generating high voltages, such as fluorescent light Mercury-containing devices ballasts and microwave ovens also probably contain Minnesota law requires that mercury in appliances be PCB capacitors. Remove all ballasts and capacitors that removed for or recycling before disposal of the may contain PCBs from appliances and manage them as appliance. a hazardous waste. The source of mercury in appliances is usually switches PCB wastes have specific storage and notification that turn electrical circuits on and off. Chest freezers, requirements. For more information on how to manage clothes washers, space heaters, household irons, and ballasts and capacitors, see MPCA fact sheet sump and bilge pumps are examples of appliances that #4.48f, Managing PCBs in Ballasts and Small often contain these types of mercury switches. On a Capacitors, available in the Specific Waste section chest freezer, the switch controls the interior light. The of Hazardous Waste Publications.

Appliance Recycling – Requirements for Recyclers • Waste/Hazardous Waste #3.02 • July 2010 page 2

Refrigerants Used oils Refrigerants are chemicals used in the compressors of Compressors of refrigeration and appliances that keep things frozen or cold, such as air appliances and transmissions of clothes washers often conditioners, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, freezers, and contain oil. Manage oil drained from appliances bakery cases. Common refrigerants include according to MPCA used oil requirements. Store used chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbon oil in closed, labeled containers and ensure it is properly (HCFC), and hydrofluorocarbon (HFC). recycled. For more information on used oil requirements, see MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet If you intend to accept appliances that contain #4.30, Managing Used Oil and Related Wastes, available refrigerants, your employees must obtain technician in the Specific Waste section of Hazardous Waste certification through an EPA-approved program. The Publications. type of certification needed depends on the type of appliances being recycled. The equipment used to Other wastes remove refrigerants must be registered with the EPA. Appliances may contain asbestos, particularly if they are For further details on certification requirements for pre-1980 and create heat. Examples include hair dryers, appliance recyclers see the MPCA Web page CFCs and irons, electric percolators, and propane-fired or LP-fired Appliance Recyclers. Please note that this certification is appliances. Contact the Minnesota Department of Health different from the certification required for removing Asbestos Program for more information at 651-201- refrigerants from automobiles. 4620, or visit their Web site Using certified technicians and registered equipment, at www.health.state.mn.us/asbestos. recover refrigerants as soon as possible after receiving If you encounter wastes not mentioned in this fact sheet appliances. Collect the used refrigerants in pressurized and are unsure how to manage them correctly, contact cylinders approved by the Department of Transportation your local environmental or solid waste department or (DOT). Contact your local fire marshal for information the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency for disposal on storing pressurized gas containers. information. Recover each type of refrigerant into its own DOT- approved cylinder, making sure different types of Additional resources refrigerants are not mixed. Mixing different types of All MPCA hazardous waste fact sheets are available on refrigerants will most likely render the refrigerants non- the hazardous waste publications page. On the MPCA recyclable. Reclaimers will often pay for separated Web site home page (www.pca.state.mn.us), click on refrigerants, but will charge for taking mixed Waste then Publications then Hazardous Waste refrigerants. Refrigerants recovered from appliances Publications. Links to individual fact sheets and Web must be sent to an EPA-certified reclaimer before they sites listed in this fact sheet are gathered below. can be sold to someone else for reuse. Find a list of EPA-certified reclaimers on the EPA Web Permitting site, www.epa.gov, by entering “certified refrigerant MPCA Web page, Solid Waste Permit Application reclaimers” in the search box. Forms and contact information

The MPCA requires appliance recyclers to keep Batteries accurate, up-to-date records of technician certification, MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.05, Managing equipment registration, refrigerant removal (including Dry-cell Batteries documentation of removal that occurred elsewhere), invoices for the sale of recovered refrigerants, and Electronics shipping receipts. See MPCA air quality fact sheet MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.15, Managing #1.34, Record-keeping Requirements for Small Electronic Wastes from Business Sources , for further details on recordkeeping requirements. MPCA Web page, Minnesota’s Electronics Recycling Act Appliances powered by propane or LP, such as those found in RVs and at cabins, may contain an ammonia Mercury-containing devices refrigerant system. Since sodium chromate has often MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.62, Managing been added to these systems as a corrosion inhibitor, the Universal Wastes refrigerant must be managed as hazardous waste.

Appliance Recycling – Requirements for Recyclers • Waste/Hazardous Waste #3.02 • July 2010 page 3

PCB ballasts and capacitors More Information MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.48f, Managing For more information, contact your metro county office PCBs in Ballasts and Small Capacitors or your nearest MPCA regional office. MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.48c, Storing PCBs Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Refrigerants Toll free (all offices) ...... 1-800-657-3864 Brainerd ...... 218-828-2492 U.S. EPA Web page, Appliance Disposal Practices in the United States Detroit Lakes ...... 218-847-1519 Duluth ...... 218-723-4660 MPCA Web page, Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and Mankato ...... 507-389-5977 Appliance Recyclers Marshall ...... 507-537-7146 U.S. EPA Web page, www.epa.gov Rochester ...... 507-285-7343 MPCA air quality fact sheet #1.34, Record-keeping St. Paul ...... 651-296-6300 Requirements for Recycling Willmar ...... 320-214-3786 Used oil Web site...... www.pca.state.mn.us MPCA hazardous waste fact sheet #4.30, Managing Metro County Hazardous Waste Offices Used Oil and Related Wastes Anoka ...... 763-422-7093 Asbestos Carver ...... 952-361-1800 Minnesota Department of Health Asbestos Dakota ...... 952-891-7557 Program, www.health.state.mn.us/asbestos or 651-201- Hennepin ...... 612-348-3777 4620 Ramsey ...... 651-266-1199 Scott ...... 952-496-8475 Washington ...... 651-430-6655 Web sites ...... www.co.[county].mn.us

Table 1: Summary of common appliances, wastes, and disposal methods. Note: this is not a complete list and should only be considered a reference for the contents of this fact sheet. Waste Batteries Electronics Mercury PCBs Refrigerants Used oils Haz. or E-waste EPA-certified Manage waste as Universal Hazardous Used oil Universal (Universal) reclaimer Find waste in Air conditioners if gas-fired X X X Clothes dryers X Clothes washers X X X X Computer monitors X X Dehumidifiers X X Dishwashers X X Fluorescent lamps X Freezers X X X X X Furnaces and boilers X X X Hot water heaters commercial only Irons X Microwave ovens X X X X Ovens (conventional) X X X X Ranges and stoves X X X X Refrigerators X if gas-fired X X X Televisions X X X

Appliance Recycling – Requirements for Recyclers • Waste/Hazardous Waste #3.02 • July 2010 page 4