Waiting For Greenfreeze

A reader writes The Green Guide:

Hi, I was just looking over your report on refrigerators and saw that you mentioned that new models will be hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFC) free. Do you have any information on the new models? What are they replacing HCFC with? Are they using cyclopentane for insulation? Will any of the "greenfreeze" refrigerators become available in the US? Any information you can provide is greatly appreciated.

Thanks! Margo Duesterhaus

The Green Guide responds:

You are to be praised for your interest in choosing a ozone-friendly refrigerator (not to mention producing no greenhouse gases). Unfortunately, though, the US is lagging behind Europe in the introduction of ozone-friendly materials and this may be due, in part, to chemical companies that don't want to stop production of environmental harmful compounds.

Refrigerators consist of two main components: a refrigerant and thermal insulation, both of which can pose enviromental problems. HCFCs, currently in use as refrigerants, deplete the ozone layer and are being phased out in the United States. But the process of finding substitutes is complex. In 2003, the amended Clean Air Act required that the EPA to find acceptable alternatives for products that deplete the ozone layer. Under its Significant New Alternatives Policy, the EPA evaluates chemical substitutes for environmental and public health hazards including ozone depletion potential, global warming potential, toxicity, flammability, and exposure.

Ozone depleting substances are usually very stable at lower altitudes; once they reach the stratosphere they break down when exposed to the sun's intense ultraviolet light, releasing chlorine or bromine atoms. According to the EPA, one chlorine atom can destroy 100,000 ozone molecules.

The EPA divides ozone depleting chemicals into two classes and has determined a list of acceptable substitutions for chemicals in either class and is now required to continue identifying alternatives. The use of a substitution not on the EPAs list of substitutions must receive approval from the EPA. Class I chemicals include chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and have a higher potential to deplete ozone. HCFCs are the only chemical listed in Class II currently and are relatively low on the ozone depletion scale. So, even though the US is phasing out HCFCs over the next twenty-five years, they are still considered an acceptable substitute for CFCs. Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), another approved substitute, do not deplete the ozone layer, but both HFCs and HCFCs do promote global warming.

Hydrocarbons (HCs), an alternative to CFCs and HCFCs, are used in commercial refrigeration throughout Europe and have no ozone depletion potential and a low global warming potential. However, the EPA has not yet approved HCs. As for thermal insulation, cyclopentane is an HC and like other HCs, it has not been permitted in new US refrigerators, though it is used in many other countries. Other HCs include methane, ethane, propane, cyclopropane, butane and cyclopentane. Evidently due to concerns about the flammability of HCs, the EPA has preferred to approved refrigerant blends as substitutions. Many of these blends include small percentages of HCs; most are a combination of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) and HCFCs. The result is that all refrigerators in the US contribute either to ozone depletion, global warming or both, offering consumers little real choice.

Alternatives to CFCs and HCFCs: Greenfreeze

In 1992, Greenpeace developed Greenfreeze, the first CFC-, HCFC-, and hydrofluorocarbon-free household refrigerator. Greenfreeze uses HCs for the refrigerant and the thermal insulation (cyclopentane).

Since 1994 all European countries have demanded that companies use HCs in the manufacturing of refrigerators. Currently, over 100 different Greenfreeze refrigerator models are available for purchase throughout the world and are manufactured by major companies such as Bosch, Siemens, Electrolux, Liebherr, Miele, Quelle, Vestfrost , Whirlpool, Bauknecht, Foron, and AEG—but not in the United States. From our research, importing directly from the manufactucter is the only option available.

Playing Catch-up in America

Although international efforts, like The Montreal Protocol (1987) have begun to eliminate the use of CFCs, American manufacturers are still lagging behind other countries in their efforts to use products that are free of chemicals that deplete the ozone. While European companies have switched their production of domestic refrigerators to HC technology, American industry continues to put short-term economic considerations ahead of long-term environmental concerns. Although, manufacturers claim that HC technology would not be conducive with large American style refrigerators, tests have shown that the amount of HC needed to cool a large American style refrigerator is within HC refrigerant limitations. From their literature, the EPA appears to be making little progress in approving HCs and emphasize HFC blends instead. The EPA cites rather vague arguments about flammability in explaining their lack of approval for HC products manufactured in Canada. But as Greenpeace notes, "their flammability can be easily mitigated through adequate safety measures in production and product design." In the end, The Green Guide has not seen any convincing arguments for the EPA's denying the approval of HC refrigerators available for a decade elsewhere.

Vincent Standley provided additional reporting for this article.