Appliance Recycling Centers of America, Inc. (ACRA), which works to reduce kilowatts and increase customer satisfaction through its appliance recycling programs, celebrated the official opening of its new appliance recycling center in Milwaukee on April 20.

The new center will process units collected through Focus on Energy's Appliance Recycling Program, Wisconsin utilities' statewide energy efficiency and renewable resource program. This year alone, the center will process approximately 16,000 refrigerators and freezers.

"Across the country we constantly hear from our utility customers how great our program is for driving customer satisfaction scores, while taking old, energy-guzzling refrigerators off the grid," said ACRA Chief Operating Officer JP Harper in a statement. "We are thrilled to be working with the Focus on Energy team and Wisconsin residential customers to deliver this program."

During the opening celebration, visitors received a tour of the facility and observed the processes ACRA uses to ensure that dangerous materials like CFC-refrigerants, blowing agents in foam insulation and mercury switches are safely and properly disposed of or recycled.