A cool milestone for refrigeration

Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) has reached a milestone by recovering and disposing of 10,000,000kg of synthetic greenhouse gas refrigerants.

RRA has worked with industry, wholesalers, and refrigerant distributors since 1993 to collect unwanted ozone-depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gases in over 500 locations across Australia.

The company runs a product stewardship program to manage used and unwanted refrigerants at the end of their life, and safely dispose of them using Montreal Protocol-approved technologies.

General Manager of RRA, Kylie Farrelley, believes the refrigeration industry plays a crucial role in reducing the impact of climate change.

“The collective recovery efforts of licenced technicians throughout Australia must be commended, especially as technicians are often recovering refrigerant in volumes as small as a kilo at a time,” she says.

“Each kilo of refrigerant recovered from refrigerators, air conditioners, and heat pumps represents a significant step towards preventing harmful substances from entering our atmosphere. Every kilo counts, and together, our efforts amount to make a substantial impact.”

According to Farrelley, the current per annum emissions abatement is the equivalent of taking 238,000 vehicles off the road. The collective efforts of the refrigeration industry have resulted in in significant environmental benefits – including the prevention of more than 10 million tonnes of stratospheric ozone from being destroyed, and more than 18.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent being prevented from emission.

“By recovering refrigerant gas … we are preventing harmful substances from being released into the atmosphere,” says Farrelley.

“This achievement not only benefits the environment but also helps protect the health and wellbeing of communities around the world.”