To celebrate Earth Day, Appliance Depot is offering cash for certain appliances between April 23-28 to be used in its job training program.

The organization will pay for washers, dryers and ranges—working or not—dropped off at their facility at 802 Marine Drive.

“To reuse a resource for whatever purpose you are able, for as long as possible, is the best course of action for both the local economy and the environment,” Thoren Rogers, the depot’s director, said in an April 3 press release. “In the case of appliances, when you buy a new unit and your installer takes away your old machine to be recycled, our community is losing that valuable resource. Your appliance will likely be destroyed, crushed and shipped out of the area, probably to China. We want to wake people up to a better option.”

The donation of appliances to Appliance Depot is a direct contribution to its training program, Rogers said.

In 2011, the nonprofit organization provided job training and employment for more than 40 low-income residents who helped run the refurbishing business.

The sale of reconditioned appliances is the program’s primary source of funding.

“Local reuse creates local jobs, uses less energy, reduces waste and provides affordable products,” Rogers said.”But demand for used appliances is outstripping current supply.”

He estimated that 23,000 new appliances are purchased every year in Whatcom County.

“If we could collect even half of the replaced machines, it would be a big boost for getting our local low-income residents back to work,” Rogers said. “There needs to be a fundamental shift in the way we all look at our waste in this society. I believe our county could become a national leader in a movement toward responsible reuse, but in order to get there, our whole community needs to take up the charge.”

Thoren Rogers and the Appliance Depot staff can be reached at 360-527-2646 or by email at info@reuseworks.org.