In accordance with the provisions of European Regulation 1005/2009, all refrigerant gases (CFC-HCFC-HFC), at the end of their operating life, are to be considered hazardous special waste and must therefore be delivered to authorised collection centres.
Collection, recycling and disposal may be carried out by companies authorised by the Italian Ministry of the Environment and therefore registered with the National Register of Environmental Managers.
Gielle, which holds a Programme Agreement with the Italian Ministry of the Environment, carries out the collection of spent refrigerant and extinguishing gases throughout Italy and then proceeds with their recycling or disposal (mixed and/or heavily contaminated CFCs, HCFCs and HFCs). The refrigerant gas recovered from refrigeration and air-conditioning systems is in fact a special waste that is hazardous to the environment (EWC code 140601*) and as such must be sent for disposal, which may only be carried out at a centre authorised by the Italian Ministry of the Environment under a specific Programme Agreement.
Gielle, authorised by the Italian Ministry of the Environment, is a collection, recovery and disposal centre for hazardous special waste consisting of refrigerant gases identified by EWC code 140601*.
It collects spent CFC, HCFC and HFC refrigerant gases throughout Italy, to be sent for disposal or reclamation as special and hazardous waste (to which EWC code 140601* is assigned).
Precisely to help holders of spent refrigerant gases fulfil their legal obligations, Gielle, through its refrigerants division, offers a recovery, recycling, reclamation and disposal service for refrigerant and extinguishing gases.
Customers are provided with containers (cylinders and drums) suitable for the storage and transport of the spent gases to be reclaimed or disposed of, marked with appropriate labelling in compliance with the regulations. The containers are fitted with a dual-port liquid + gas valve to allow rapid recovery of the fluid from the system
The collection service at the customer’s premises is carried out by carriers licensed to transport hazardous special waste with EWC code 140601*.
Upon acceptance of the special waste, which is weighed to verify the actual quantity of gas contained in the packaging, chemical analyses of the recovered gases are carried out to verify the condition of the refrigerant fluid and the possible treatment: chemical analyses are performed on the gas present in the systems in order to assess its characteristics and degree of contamination (oil, sludge, moisture, carbon residues, etc.).
The analyses performed are:
Chromatography to determine the purity, the composition of the fluid and any contaminants (high-boiling residues)
Moisture by the Karl Fischer method
Acidity test
Chloride ion test
The type of treatment is decided on the basis of the results of the chemical analyses:
reclamation for those recovered refrigerant fluids that prove to be reclaimable: the treatment is carried out in a dedicated new-generation plant that separates the impurities present in the refrigerant fluid, such as H2O, high-boiling residues and oil;
disposal for those recovered refrigerant fluids that are not reclaimable: storage in a dedicated area and subsequent shipment of the waste to the thermal destruction platform for CFC products.
The customer is issued with a copy of the waste identification form certifying that disposal has been carried out, in full compliance with the regulations in force.
The recovered fluid is reclaimed in compliance with the ARI 700/2006 quality standards, which define the minimum purity parameters of the reclaimed product.
How the service works:
Once the type and quantity of gas have been established, the number and type of containers needed to collect it are defined (containers, cylinders, drums, etc.).
The required containers are sent directly to the site where the system from which the waste is to be collected is located.
The work is carried out and the gas to be disposed of is collected in the containers.
The label bearing the letter “R” and the “ADR” label supplied with the containers are affixed to the containers.
All sections of the Waste Collection Request Form are then completed (or the end customer is asked to complete them). The form contains all the information needed to carry out the collection and disposal service (number of containers to be collected and their serial numbers, type of gas, net weight of the waste, details of the applicant and of the holder).
The waste producer fills in the waste loading and unloading register, indicating the type and quantity of waste produced.
The containers with the waste are collected by our authorised carrier, who issues the first copy of the waste identification form to the customer.
When the waste arrives at the storage centre, its weight is checked and the fourth copy of the waste identification form is sent to the producer.
The containers dedicated to the service are fitted with a safety valve, are type-approved and comply with the periodic inspections required by law.
Our “turnkey” solution for the disposal of spent refrigerant gases is ideal for refrigeration engineers and for maintenance providers of refrigeration/air-conditioning systems. Gielle also offers specialist consultancy, training and updates on waste management regulations and on the fulfilment of mandatory administrative requirements.