LCP
RG66006889-Rev.01
30
10.7 ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION
The law implementing the regulations [reg. EEC 2037/00] which govern the use of ozone-depleting
substances and greenhouse gases bans the dispersal of refrigerant gases in the environment and
requires whoever is in their possession to recover them and, at the end of their useful life, either to return
them to the dealer or take them to a suitable waste disposal facility.
The refrigerant HFC R410A is not harmful to the ozone layer but is included among the substances
responsible for the greenhouse effect and thus falls within the scope of the aforesaid regulations.
Therefore, special care should be taken when carrying out maintenance work to
minimise refrigerant leaks.
11 RETIRING THE UNIT
When the unit has reached the end of its working life and needs to removed and replaced, a series of
operations should be carried out:
- the refrigerant gas it contains should be recovered by specialised personnel and sent to a waste
collection facility;
- the lubricating oil in the compressors should also be recovered and sent to a waste collection facility;
- if they cannot be reused, the framework and components should be scrapped and separated according
to the type of material: this applies especially for the considerable quantities of copper and aluminium
present in the unit.
This will make the job of waste collection, disposal and recycling facilities easier and minimise the
environmental impact of such processes.
