Reduce Landfill & Save Money with your AC Installation

Joe Cools is making a conscious effort to minimise our impact on the environment by recycling, reusing and repurposing AC equipment and packaging were possible to reduce landfill. Landfill sites are ugly. Unwanted rubbish such as plastics, metals and packaging is buried in landfill and breaks down very slowly.

Sadly, today air conditioning (AC) systems like virtually all modern electrical appliances, form part of that landfill. They are manufactured with planned obsolescence over a very short timespan. Manufacturers aggressively market and sell new appliances only to ditch the old appliances and equipment to the dump for landfill.

Together, this is how we can minimise landfill waste:

1. Considering purchasing a new AC system?

The existing AC outlets, return air grille, ducting and other parts of the system may still be in a serviceable condition and can be recycled and reused in the new replacement AC system. Why discard the old and spend money on new ‘bits’ when what you have will fulfil its function perfectly in your new system.

2. Pay it Forward

When we are called out to remove an old Air Conditioning unit to make way for a new one, quite often the touch pad or remote controllers are still perfectly operational even though the rest of the system will not function. Joe Cools hangs on to all of these old touch pads and remote controllers and is willing to give them away to anyone who may need them for a compatible unit. All we ask is that you pay it forward and make a donation of any amount to a charity of your choice.

3. Considering a new ducted Evaporative Cooler and wish to change over to a Reverse Cycle AC System?

Then the ceiling outlets in each room may be able to be cleaned and re-used or perhaps you could replace plastic outlets with metal ones which will last longer and retain their original form and colour better.

4. Considering replacing your duct work?

In cases where our customers want to replace their duct along with the installation of a new system, and the existing ductwork is still serviceable, we like to advertise it on the internet as ‘FREE duct for an immediate pick up’. Usually within a couple of hours it has been picked up and reused in another AC system.

5. How we reduce what goes to the dump and recycle what we can

We cant stop all old AC systems ending up at the dump but we do strip them of reusable metals and decommission them with approved techniques where gas refrigerants are removed enabling them to be recycled at a gas recycling centre protecting the environment from harmful greenhouse gases.

6. Consider keeping the cardboard packaging?

Air Conditioners come with a lot of packaging to protect the appliance in transit. Where possible we dispose of cardboard box packaging so it can break down and decompose.

Some customers retain large cardboard boxex repurposing them for:

• A natural compostable solution for a weed problem by placing flat pieces of cardboard onto weed prone areas, watering them thoroughly then adding soil or mulch on top to aid decomposition.
• Children’s play as a cubby house, puppet theatre or a cardboard maze.

There are definitely steps that we can all take to reduce the amount of rubbish that goes to landfill. Together we can make a significant difference.

Call us if you are interested in trying to help recycle, reuse or repurpose parts of your air conditioning system. Call us on 0412 820 271

Shoot us an email if you have any tips on how we can improve our processes and minimise landfill and our impact on the environment ☺ Email us on: admin@joecools.com.au

Read More Blogs