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News
A GROWING REGIONAL FOCUS ON RECOVERY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT
By Eamonn Ryan
Michael Labacher, sales manager: A-Gas Africa, presented an overview of the progress and challenges in refrigerant recovery, reclamation and environmentally friendly destruction, stressing the need for more effective life cycle management of refrigerants.
This took place at the Southern African Development
Community Refrigeration and Air Conditioning( SADC RAC) association held a workshop in Johannesburg in November 2024.
Labacher reflected on the significant growth of the region ' s collaborative efforts over the years, involving the National Ozone Units( NOUs), RAC associations and end users who are crucial in driving progress in refrigerant management.
He described one of the key takeaways from global experience as being the growing importance of refrigerant lifecycle management. Labacher emphasises that as the installed base of refrigerants continues to grow, the need to recover these substances is becoming increasingly critical. " If we don ' t recover the refrigerants in the installed base, all the great work we’ ve done in transitioning to natural refrigerants and training will be undone," he warns. Labacher stresses that focusing on the recovery of refrigerants is currently more important than transitioning to new refrigerants. If refrigerants are released into the atmosphere rather than being recovered, efforts to reduce the environmental impact of refrigeration and air conditioning systems would be undermined.
He points out that a key part of this challenge lies in ensuring that the end users— those who benefit from the refrigeration systems— take responsibility for the refrigerants used in
The goal is to create a regional network for refrigerant recovery, reclamation and destruction, which will ensure full life cycle management of refrigerants. their systems. According to Labacher, educating the end user about their accountability for the refrigerants installed in their systems is crucial. " The end user needs to understand that they are responsible for the refrigerants in their systems. If end users were held accountable for the refrigerants they use, they would likely be more inclined to ensure that recovery processes are properly followed.”
Technicians and HVAC professionals play a vital role in this process.“ When end users are made aware of the value in recovering refrigerants, they would demand that technicians use recovery machines, thereby creating a demand for the proper equipment. This, in turn, would help technicians to see the financial value in recovering refrigerants, fostering a more sustainable approach to refrigerant management,” he says.
The importance of setting up regional networks for refrigerant recovery was of central importance:“ Countries cannot always implement large-scale recovery systems or uniform training curricula within their borders, but through regional cooperation these challenges can be addressed more effectively," Labacher states. He praised the Southern Africa region for being ahead of other Article 5 countries in this regard.
Michael Labacher, sales manager: A-Gas Africa.
PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES IN REFRIGERANT RECOVERY
Labacher explains that many countries currently face a scenario where there are recovery cylinders, but little control over their
All images by © RACA Journal
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RACA Journal I May 2025 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za