Appliance Recycling Centers of America (ARCA) retrieves, recycles, repairs, and resells household appliances. The company's retail business operates 20 ApplianceSmart Factory Outlet stores in Minnesota, Georgia, Ohio, and Texas that sell new, reconditioned, and "special-buy" appliances from manufacturers such as Electrolux, GE, and Whirlpool. ARCA provides recycling and replacement services for appliance makers, electric utilities, and energy-efficiency programs in North America. The firm also cashes in on byproducts, collecting fees for appliance disposal and selling scrap metal and reclaimed chlorofluorocarbon refrigerants from processed appliances. ARCA was founded in 1976 as a used appliance retailer.