PREVENTING REFRIGERANT POLLUTION THROUGH COMMUNITY ACTION

What we do

As a regional group we collaborate in researching and exploring issues and solutions.

We help consumers and local and state governments make better decisions about refrigerants. 

We craft responses to local problems within our own communities that can be broadly replicated and work with local and state officials to help shape policy.

The Coolest Recycling Drives

During Earth Week 2023, volunteers for Sustainable Warwick completed the Coolest Recycling Drive, a novel and effective climate action. Pushed by frustration over how slowly the climate crisis is being addressed, during a two-week period they prevented the equivalent of nearly half a million pounds of CO2 emissions on a 20-year time frame and sent more than two tons of metals for recycling, all for a net cost of about $900. (Check out our video about the Coolest Recycling Drive of 2023.)

Upon learning of our 2023 Coolest Recycling Drive, Hudson Technologies generously agreed to support future events by providing the refrigerant recovery work at no charge. This allowed Sustainable Warwick and Sustainable Hudson Valley to team up with numerous community organizations in 2024 and hold an expanded Coolest Recycling Drive. Coolest Recycling Drives are effective climate actions, because they are focused on preventing the emissions of refrigerants, which are almost always very intense greenhouse gases. In response to broad interest, we’ve set up a new web page to help other organizations learn how to collaborate with us or even conduct their own Coolest Recycling Drive. 

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Refrigerants: The Invisible Opportunity

Refrigerants are intense greenhouse gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems everywhere. Many of the refrigerants in use today are an invisible form of air pollution with enormous global warming potential, and they will be around for years to come. Project Drawdown identifies refrigerant management as a top global opportunity for greenhouse gas reduction.

We help communities learn how to purchase, maintain and dispose of appliances by sharing our research, tools, and templates.

We’re advocating for state policies and legislation for a quick phase-in of safer refrigerants and making polluters and manufacturers responsible for preventing emissions.  We’re focusing attention where it matters most — on supermarkets — the most visible large sources of leaks — and on providing incentive payments for captured refrigerants.

THE THREE PILLARS OF REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT

  • PREVENT END-of-LIFE EMISSIONS

    Systems need to be in place to  capture refrigerants from appliances and equipment at the end of life so they will be properly reclaimed or destroyed. We need to become better informed about recycling the refrigerants in appliances, like window air conditioners and refrigerators, and to establish Incentives and policies so that HVAC technicians will put the time and effort into properly capturing used refrigerants from central air systems and institutional refrigeration/chilling systems.

  • ENHANCE LEAK MONITORING

    The larger, older and more complex a refrigeration or cooling system is, the more likely it is the system will leak. Effective system monitoring and leak sequestration is an important investment that all businesses and institutions should be making and public policies should be supporting.

  • TRANSITION TO NEW REFRIGERANTS

    Beyond giving regulatory approval to new, climate-friendly refrigerants and phasing out the old ones, incentivizing the use of new refrigerants would benefit everyone by hastening their adoption.