Editing Refrigerant (section)

== Refrigerant reclamation and disposal ==
{{main|Refrigerant reclamation}}
Coolant and refrigerants are found throughout the industrialized world, in homes, offices, and factories, in devices such as refrigerators, air conditioners, central air conditioning systems (HVAC), freezers, and dehumidifiers. When these units are serviced, there is a risk that refrigerant gas will be vented into the atmosphere either accidentally or intentionally, hence the creation of technician training and certification programs in order to ensure that the material is conserved and managed safely. Mistreatment of these gases has been shown to deplete the ozone layer and is suspected to contribute to [[global warming]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/|title=Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 1998 - Executive Summary|date=18 August 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818233746/http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/1605/ggrpt/|archive-date=18 August 2000}}</ref>

With the exception of isobutane and propane (R600a, R441A, and R290), ammonia and CO<sub>2</sub> under [[Section 608]] of the United States' [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act]] it is illegal to knowingly release any refrigerants into the atmosphere.<ref name=EPA >{{cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions on Section 608|url=http://www.epa.gov/ozone/title6/608/faq.html#q2|work=Environment Protection Agency|access-date=20 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=US hydrocarbons|url=http://hydrocarbons21.com/articles/us_epa_lifts_venting_prohibition_for_snap_approved_hydrocarbons|access-date=5 August 2018}}</ref>

[[Refrigerant reclamation]] is the act of processing used refrigerant gas that has previously been used in some type of [[Vapor-compression refrigeration|refrigeration loop]] such that it meets specifications for new refrigerant gas. In the [[United States]], the [[Clean Air Act (United States)|Clean Air Act]] of 1990 requires that used refrigerant be processed by a certified reclaimer, which must be licensed by the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA), and the material must be recovered and delivered to the reclaimer by EPA-certified technicians.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/7671g|title=42 U.S. Code § 7671g - National recycling and emission reduction program|website=LII / Legal Information Institute}}</ref>