CFCs and HCFCs
in the stratosphere
are broken apart by
sunlight, releasing
millions of chlorine
atoms that destroy
the ozone layer.
The ozone layer is located
in the stratosphere, 12 to
22 miles above the Earth's
surface. This vital shield
of gas stops damaging
UVB rays from reaching
the Earth's surface.
CFCs and HCFCs typically take
2 to 4 years to rise to the
stratosphere. Once there, they
may survive 2 to 150 years.
United States EPA/430/F-93/003O
Environmental Protection May 1993
Agency
OfficeiofAir and Radiation (6205 J)
SEPA Disposing of
Appliances With
Refrigerants:
What You
Should Know
Without refrigerant recov-
ery, about 4 million
pounds of ozone-depleting
chemicals escape from
appliances at disposal
each year.
Almost 8 million refrigerators and
freezers are thrown away in the
United States every year.
U.S. EPA
Office of Air and Radiation
Stratospheric Protection Division
This publication is distributed by:
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Many of the appliances we
^e every day contain
man-made chemicals that
destroy the ozone layer—our
planet's natural protection
against the sun's harmful ultra-
violet radiation. Refrigerators,
window and car air condition-
ers, and dehumidifiers rely on
refrigerants that contain
ozone-depleting CFCs and
HCFCs, also known by the
tradename "Freon".
If not disposed of prop-
erly at a landfill or scrap pro-
cessing facility, these common
household items can release CFC/HCFC-
containing refrigerant into the atmosphere. And that's
bad news for the ozone layer! This brochure answers
some questions you may have the next time you want
to dispose of an old refrigerator or air conditioner—
without contributing to this serious problem.
You Can't Just Throw It Away
A giant "ozone hole" was discovered over
Antarctica in 1985. Recent scientific data reveal that
ozone over the North Pole is also being depleted. As
this problem worsens, major population centers in the
U.S., Canada, and Europe are expected to be exposed
to higher levels of ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays, posing seri-
ous threats to human, animal, and plant life.
In 1990, the U.S. Congress amended the Clean Air
Act to include laws to protect the stratospheric ozone
layer. Part of this new law prohibits the release of
ozone-depleting refrigerants into the atmosphere dur-
ing the service, maintenance, or disposal of air-
conditioning and refrigeration equipment. As of
July 1, 1992, refrigerants must be recovered from
the appliance before disposal. The environmen-
tal and financial penalties for violating this prohi-
bition are high: EPA is authorized to assess fines
of up to $25,000 per day per violation of the Act.
Refrigerant-recovery machines have been
developed and are now widely used. Recovery
equipment draws the refrigerant into a holding
tank. The refrigerant is then purified and sold for
reuse, and the appliance discarded without harm-
ing the ozone layer.
Think It Out
Before You Throw It Out
We all share responsibility in helping to reduce
ozone destruction by disposing of appliances proper-
ly. You can help by thinking about refrigerant recov-
ery before arranging for pickup or disposal of your
used appliances.
Your municipality, waste hauler, scrap metal
recycler, or landfill may not own refrigerant-recovery
equipment. Also, some are refusing to handle appli-
ances with refrigerant in them. If this is the case in
your area, here are a few steps you can take:
Contact the public
works department
in your town or
county and ask
about home appli-
ance recycling or
CFC/HCFC- recov-
ery programs.
Ask your local home appliance retailers about
their refrigerator and home appliance collection
programs or about the availability of refrigerant-
recovery services.
Inform your local hauler or service person of
the ozone problem and the law. You are doing
him a favor—violators can be fined as much as
$25,000 a day for letting refrigerant escape into
the atmosphere!
Avoid trying to recover refrigerant yourself. Only
a qualified professional with the proper
equipment should recover refriger-
ants (or any other
pressurized gas).
You should be
prepared for a pos-
sible increase in
appliance collection
costs. You might
consider the extra
cost as your contri-
bution to protecting
the ozone layer.
You Can Do More
• Be aware. Technicians may no longer simply
open a valve and vent refrigerant when servicing a
unit. Before choosing a service company, ask
about the company's practice of recovering and
recycling CFCs and HCFCs.
Your EPA regional
office has an air quality enforcement officer to
take reports of violations of the refrigerant
venting prohibition.
Every citizen can play an
important role in preserving the ozone layer.
For more information about
EPA's ozone protection pro-
gram, responsible appliance
disposal, or to report viola-
tions, call EPA's Stratospheric
Ozone Protection Hotline toll
free at (800) 296-1996. This
public service is available
Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
(Eastern time).
The Global Effort to Protect the
Ozone Layer
Since banning the use of CFCs in aerosol cans
in the late 1970's, the United States has been a
leader in the global campaign to halt depletion of the
stratospheric ozone layer. In 1987, the United States
and 23 countries signed the Montreal Protocol and
agreed to cut the production of ozone-depleting sub-
stances in half by the year 1998. In June 1990, the
Protocol was amended to completely phase out pro-
duction of ozone-depleting substances by the year
2000. Since then, U.S. production of these chemicals
has decreased by nearly 50 percent. Now signed by
over 110 nations, the Protocol has since been modi-
fied to require a virtual phaseout of CFC production
by January 1, 1996.
The national program to protect the ozone layer
also requires CFC and HCFC recycling, development
of substitute chemicals, banning "non-essential"
uses, and product labeling. New regulations may
affect the products you buy and how they are
maintained and disposed of. Think about it!
Recycted/Recyclabte
Printed on paper that contains
at least 50% recycled fiber
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