ACR Journal

February 2022 | March 2022 REFRIGERANTS 20 A-Gas managing director John Ormerod explains how we are making progress in refrigerant reclamation and recovery but sets out why we must do more. How the UK leads the world Volume 8 No.2 The UK tops the table in refrigerant recovery and reclamation. With wholesalers playing a key role in how our industry operates, we are gaining an enviable reputation globally for our skills in recovering refrigerant to be used again on the market. By using reclaimed refrigerant you displace the need to produce virgin refrigerants and this is an effective way for the industry to help reduce global warming and lower the carbon footprint of customers. The F-Gas Regulation with its emphasis on restricting the use of virgin gases has created the environment to allow the UK to take advantage of the benefits of reclaimed refrigerant. Progress is being made in the UK as more and more contractors see the plus points of refrigerant recovery for reclamation and reuse. This is a great example of regulation encouraging the Circular Economy – the opposite to the take, make and dispose business model which forces us to seek greater efficiencies and make better use of what we have already. We have higher recovery rates than the rest of Europe but are we doing enough to incentivise the transition away from higher GWP refrigerants to more environmentally friendly alternatives? The recent European Environment Agency report of F-Gases found levels of reclamation had remained stubbornly low at around three per cent of the total supply to the market. After seven years of the F-Gas regulation, as an industry we should be doing better. The key role played by reclaimed refrigerants in lowering our carbon footprint and reducing global warming should not be under-estimated. End users are starting to recognise this as they grapple with their own carbon footprint and look for ways to reduce it. At A-Gas our twin aims to supply the lowest global warming refrigerants and promote the use of reclaimed gases also tie in with Project Drawdown – an initiative launched by scientists and environmentalist to highlight 100 solutions mankind can implement to slow down global warming. A-Gas supports the aims of this initiative. Refrigerant management is one of the key solutions highlighted by Project Drawdown. Our message to visitors at COP26 which we attended in November was that refrigerant management can play an important role as we look to halt the effects of climate change. More than that A-Gas is spreading the message about the benefits of reclaimed refrigerant John Ormerod