European groups produce leaflet on illegal refrigerant imports

With the European market swamped with cheap, illegal refrigerant, the contractors association AREA, refrigeration component manufacturers group ASERCOM, refrigerant producers organisation EFCTC, and EPEE, the European Partnership for Energy & the Environment, have joined together to produce Protect your business: buy refrigerant from safe sources.

The new leaflet gives a brief overview on how to distinguish safe sources from illegal ones and how to recognise illegal refrigerants. 

It warns that the risks of buying illegal refrigerant are high and range from hefty fines to risks for health and safety for installers and users. 

The leaflet also warns of the environmental impact of the illegal trade: it undermines the F-gas regulation’s aim to phase down HFCs and increases the risks of refrigerant leakage to atmosphere through the use of inadequate cylinders, or illegal disposable cylinders.

It recommends that refrigerant should only be purchased from a reputable distributor, to avoid purchases from internet platforms and not to buy refrigerants in disposable cylinders which are banned in the EU.

The document can be downloaded from the EPEE website here.

07-08-2019