How to Dispose of Refrigerant Cylinders
Safe disposal of refrigerant cylinders is mandatory under the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Section 608 Refrigerant Recycling Rule. When your business needs to dispose of any equipment that contains such cylinders, you must follow the guidelines. Only facilities that are licensed for refrigerant cylinder disposal are allowed to do so. This is not a task that you can complete at your own facility.
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Locate a recycling center in your area that is licensed to dispose of refrigerant cylinders. Check your phone books or perform an Internet search for "refrigerant disposal facilities" in your area.
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Transport the entire appliance to the recycling facility. Appliances and equipment that contain refrigerant, such as refrigerators and air conditioners, are not allowed to enter the waste stream until the refrigerant cylinders have been properly removed.
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Ask the technician at the recycling facility to inspect the appliance to ensure that the cylinder is intact. If you bring an appliance to the facility without the cylinder intact, you must provide a signed statement that includes the name and address of the person who recovered the refrigerant and the date that the refrigerant was recovered or a copy of a contract stating that the refrigerant will be removed prior to delivery.
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Ask the technician at the recycling facility to remove the cylinder according to the legal requirements mandated by the EPA and to dispose the cylinder for you. After the cylinder is removed, if you need to dispose of the appliance at a separate location from the recycling facility, the recycling technician is required to give you a copy of the form that states the refrigerant cylinder was removed and disposed of properly.
Warning
Do not attempt to dismantle the cylinders on your own. The refrigerant inside is toxic to humans and damaging to the ozone layer. Only licensed facilities are allowed to remove and handle these cylinders properly and safely. If you attempt to dismantle these cylinders on your own, you will be breaking the law.
References
Writer Bio
Joshua Black is a business writer, copywriter and blogger who began his professional writing career in 2000. He has written numerous eBooks and has articles published on various websites and ezines on topics in small business, marketing, sales and sports. He holds a Bachelor of Science in industrial design from Western Michigan University.
Photo Credits
- Tomasz Szymanski/Hemera/Getty Images
- Tomasz Szymanski/Hemera/Getty Images
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