Treatment specifications for cooling appliances

The household appliance industry (represented by CECED), electro scrap take-back schemes (WEEE Forum) and specialist electronics recyclers (EERA) have agreed on a set of specifications with respect to the collection, transportation, storage and treatment of end-of-life household cooling and freezing appliances containing hydrocarbons (HC).
Since the mid-1990s, HCs such as butane, propane and pentane have almost completely replaced ozone-depleting gases such as CFC (chlorofluorocarbon), HCFC (hydrochlorofluorocarbon) and HFC (hydrofluorocarbon) which had been used as refrigerants and blowing agents for refrigerator foam insulation. The three organisations have developed the specifications because EU Directive 2002/96/EC on waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) does not specify how appliances containing HCs should be treated in the recycling process. HCs are flammable and so the aim has been to create a treatment specification that respects health and safety requirements.
The new specifications are available for use by all parties involved in the collection, transportation, storing and treatment of household HC-containing equipment. The specification can be used without licence or certification fee.