𝗜𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 — 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗶𝗻.

 

 

 

 Recent news about large seizures of illegal refrigerants in Europe highlights a problem that goes beyond market distortion.

In many cases, laboratory analysis carried out after system issues reveals a critical reality:
the product inside the cylinder does not correspond to what is declared.

Instead, it is often a mixture of different refrigerants — sometimes including substances already banned under the F-Gas framework.

At first, this creates a direct risk for the installation.

These uncontrolled blends have different properties (glide, composition, behaviour), but they are handled as if they were standard products.

This mismatch can lead to system malfunctions and creates risks for the professionals working with them.

But there is another, less visible consequence.

When these fluids do not meet AHRI 700 specifications, they cannot be properly reclaimed and regenerated.

🔴In many cases, they can only be destroyed.

✅ This creates a break in the chain.

Instead of being recovered, treated and reintroduced into the market, these refrigerants are lost.

At a time when reclaiming is becoming essential to support the availability of certain gases, this represents a significant loss.

𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁 — 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁.

Illegal refrigerants do not only impact today’s installations.

They weaken the development of a more circular refrigeration model, where fluids remain usable over time through structured reclaiming and regeneration processes.

And this circular approach is not secondary — it is a fundamental part of the F-Gas framework, alongside GWP reduction and quota systems.

In this context, the challenge is not only to control what enters the market — but also to preserve what can remain in it