Sears Fridge Retirement: All good things must come to an end… but here is a silver (and green) lining!

After their faithful service – some for over a decade! – to 1400 employees and their food storage needs, it was time to relieve the refrigerators of their duties and wish them well in their golden years.  I joined in the send-off party organized by the Sears Green Team to celebrate the loyal and steadfast service of these departing veterans.

(c) Adrienne Lo/WWF-Canada
I couldn’t help but feel the tug at my heart strings during the farewell speech thanking the fridges for their devotion and all of the energy they had spent in serving the employees.  They would be missed terribly but everyone knew that it was time to for the fridges to enjoy some much needed R & R.

Sears associates were invited to reflect and share their parting thoughts by signing the retiring fridges.  Some made me smile, some made me laugh out loud and some made me realize that the appliances will always hold a special place in the hearts of the Sears associates.

While these were bittersweet moments, Sears was able to find the silver and green lining under the cloud!  At the party, the Sears Green team was excited to announce the imminent arrival of shiny, new Energy Star replacements!  These new fridges are significantly more energy-efficient, using at least 30 percent less energy than the older veterans.
The first new fridge was officially and proudly unveiled by Sears Canada CEO Dene Rogers and Sustainability Leader James Gray-Donald to the sound of collective ‘ooohs’ and ‘aaahs.’

So while parting is such sweet sorrow, I can see that the Sears Associates’ memories of the veteran refrigerators will live on forever, and that they can take comfort in the capable hands of the newer and greener rookies.

I would like to send my best wishes to both the old and the new fridges and echo one Sears associate by saying, “Keep it cool, Sears!”