I'm planning to take advantage of cash for clunkers for appliances and replace some kitchen and laundry equipment. To get my rebate, do I need to recycle an old appliance?

It depends on where you live. As part of its $300 million State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program, the U.S. Department of Energy encouraged states to incorporate recycling into their cash for clunkers for appliances rebate programs. But the Energy Department didn't mandate recycling, in part because recycling capabilities and programs differ greatly from state to state.

(December 29, 2009, update: Check out our cash for clunkers for appliances hub, which includes a U.S. map with links to each state's clunkers Web page.)

States are handling appliance recycling through a few different approaches:

Educational programs: Many states are encouraging you to recycle by providing you with information about free haul-away programs from retailers and utilities. If you live in Rhode Island, for instance, you'll call a toll-free number for recycling information when the Office of Energy Resources launches the program there in March 2010.

Incentive-based efforts: Some states are sweetening the deal if you can show you've recycled an old appliance. In Texas, for example, you'll get an additional $75 on top of the rebate for qualifying appliances with proof of recycling. In New York, the recycling incentive will be $25 to $30 per appliance.