POST 00493E : CFC DISPOSAL

POST 00493E : CFC DISPOSAL Follow-up on Post 00487E 28 August 2002 ______________________________________________________ G R Baru (mailto:[log in to unmask]) from India provides an answer to the question of CFC disposal. And Opanyang.S. Mosweu (mailto:[log in to unmask]) from Botswana contributes comments. ______________________________________________________ The UNEP web site provides information about CFC-free business as UNEP is also one of the implementing agency of the Montreal Agreement beside support from UNDP etc. Through the Montreal Protocol, the global community has committed itself to eliminate the refrigerants globally as these ( CFC & HCFC) are responsible for depletion of the ozone layer in the atmosphere. This Montreal Protocol calls for cessation of CFC production by 1995 in developed countries and provides for a 10-year grace period for developing countries. The Protocol calls for a 65% reduction in CFC & HCFC production beginning from 2004 and complete phase out by 2030. Many countries like India has committed to do away with it by 2010. As per this Protocol every country has to set their target of phasing out of CFC within a certain time frame and within that time that country has to stop production of CFC, HCFC. In the case of the refrigeration industry all equipment need to be retrofitted or replaced with CFC-free equipment. Quantity of gas in a refrigerator depends upon its design/size/capacity etc which may vary from 100 to 200gm. If you calculate the number of refrigerators being used in a country for vaccine storage and multiply by 100 gm, then you will get the total quantity of CFC gas being available in cold chain maintenance system of that country which is very negligible as compared to the CFC element being released by foaming industry of any country. All the cold chain technicians need to be trained on repair of CFC-FREE EQUIPMENT and also for recovery AND recycling of the CFC gas SO THAT EXISTING CONTAMINATED GAS IS RECOVERED IN A SAFE BAG AND RECYCLED FOR FUTURE USE ENABLING THE INDUSTRY TO PRODUCE LESS GAS. In the process of switching over to CFC-FREE any country may release the existing CFC gas in the atmosphere if it is not possible to recycle. Recovery and recycling equipment are part of a tool kit provided under EPI training program for refrigeration technicians. In some countries CFC gas is also being converted to CFC-free, R134a gas which may be a costly affair. Hope this may provide you some more information on this topic. Regards, G R BARU ___________________________________________________ I have taken keen interest on this subject because it is the talk of the world when we think of how they have to be disposed? It is not easy to handle this issue because there appear in the atmosphere for a much longer time as for 400 to 600 years. The environmental policies are a bit not put up right . Lets refer to the Montreal Protocol about the issue of their environmental unfriendliness. The only thing is to reduce the production of the products and also recycle the current ones. It will be interesting to get the best answer for this products because they have been on high usage and demand. Opanyang.S. Mosweu Botswana EPI Technician _____________________________________________________ CONTRIBUTIONS: Contributions to: or use your reply button! The TechNet21 e-Forum welcomes new subscribers who are involved in immunization services. SUBCRIBE: To subscribe, send an e-mail to: Leave the SUBJECT area BLANK, do not type anything. In the body text, just write: Subscribe TECHNET21E Surname Name Do not use any accents in your name and surname. 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