Recycling and Regeneration of Refrigerants: A Sustainable Solution

Fluorinated refrigerants are essential for maintaining comfort in refrigeration and air conditioning systems, but they also pose environmental and economic challenges due to increasing restrictions on their production and use. The recycling and regeneration of refrigerants extends their lifecycle, ensuring their availability for existing installations and contributing to the sustainability of the sector.

Where do refrigerant waste products come from?

Refrigerant waste is primarily found in refrigeration and air conditioning equipment. It can be classified into two types:

1. Pure refrigerant waste:
   • On-site cleaning: The waste is processed directly at the facility, removing oil, moisture, and acidity to meet AHRI700 specifications. This allows its reuse in the same system, or another system owned by the same user.
   • Sent to a waste manager: If not recycled on-site, the waste must be sent to an authorized waste management provider.
2. Refrigerant mixture waste:
   • This type of waste, composed of different refrigerants, must be handled by an authorized waste manager due to the differing volatilities of its components. At GRIT, we adjust these mixtures to meet AHRI700 specifications.

What is the difference between recycling and regeneration?

Recycling is carried out on-site, while regeneration involves transporting the waste to a specialized manager, where an exhaustive process of analysis and adjustment is performed to return the product to the market.

How do we regenerate refrigerants at GRIT?

1. Reception and analysis: Each bottle of waste is analyzed to identify its composition, determine the amount of oil, and detect impurities such as water or acidity.
2. Distillation: Impurities are removed, and the component ratios are adjusted to ensure the regenerated product meets AHRI700 standards.
3. Certification and return: A regeneration certificate is issued, and priority is given to the original client for the purchase of the regenerated product.

Due to the various transitions in the sector, current market waste often consists of mixtures of high- and low-GWP HFCs, sometimes including significant amounts of HCFCs. GRIT has developed proprietary technology that separates these mixtures, which previously had to be destroyed, into reusable fractions. These fractions are transformed into regenerated products that can be reintroduced into the market, achieving complete circularity for refrigerant waste.

Benefits of regenerated refrigerants

• Tax exemption: Regenerated refrigerants originating from and processed in Spain are not subject to the taxes applied to virgin refrigerants.
• Guarantee of availability: In a context where the new F-gas 2024/573 regulation limits import quotas, refrigerant regeneration is essential to maintain operational systems.
• Sustainability: Unnecessary destruction of waste is avoided, contributing to the circular economy and environmental protection.

Commitment to the circular economy

At GRIT, our goal is to maximize the reuse of refrigerant waste, offering solutions tailored to each client’s needs and reducing the strain on natural resources. For any inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us!