What consumers should know to safely handle ozone depleting substances

Use of ODS

 

Ozone depleting substances (ODS) destroy the ozone layer and are commonly found in refrigerators, air conditioners, fire extinguishers, dry cleaning products, solvents for cleaning electronics and as agricultural fumigants.  Examples of ODS are chlorofluorocarbons (CFC), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) methyl bromide and carbon tetrachloride.  Certain properties (e.g. stability and non-toxicity ) make ODS ideal for many uses.  Also, many ODS are also greenhouse gases, so reducing the use of ODS is particularly important to small island developing states (SIDS) such as Trinidad and Tobago.

What consumers should know when…

 

Buying a refrigeration or air condition unit: 
Ask the salesperson if the refrigerant is ozone friendly.  Consider buying an air condition unit that does not have ODS as it is better for the environment and it would be easier to access the refrigerant needed to service the equipment.  Also consider other features such as energy use which is indicated by an energy star rating.

Servicing a refrigeration or air-condition unit:
Consider retrofitting the equipment to replace the ozone depleting refrigerant with something less harmful. If retrofitting is not an option, ensure that the refrigerant is not vented and recycled if possible.

Using methyl bromide for fumigation:
Alternatives are available for methyl bromide in many circumstances, so ask your pest control technician.

The legal responsibility of consumers 

The Litter Act makes it illegal to improperly dispose of items.  There should therefore be proper disposal of items that use ODS.  The ODS should be safely recovered from the equipment by a trained technician through recovery and recycling equipment. 

How to identify personnel trained to safely handle ODS

Check with technicians to learn if they have been trained in good refrigeration practices. Trained technicians do not release gas/refrigerant into the atmosphere, but trap it in gas cylinders. 

 

Consumer guidelines for the safe handling of ODS

• Avoid buying products with ODS
• Ask your supplier if there are products that do not use ODS or other components  (like substances that cause climate change) that harm the environment.
• Look for technicians that have been trained to handle ODS
• Ask technicians if they have been trained in good refrigeration practices.
• Limit the use of methyl bromide
• Do not use methyl bromide in soil, structural and electrical fumigation.
• Safely dispose of products that use ODS
• Air conditioning and refrigeration units: Contact a technician to recover refrigerant before disposal of equipment.
• Metered dose inhalers (MDIs): Do not use inhalers that use CFCs.