Correspondence from the Department for
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to M Baker (Property Services)
Ltd 29 June 2001
EC REGULATIONS 2037/2000
ON OZONE
DEPLETING SUBSTANCES:
ARTICLE 16(2)
Thank you for your letter of 20 June about the
interpretation of Article 16 of Regulation 2037/2000 in respect
of recovery of CFCs for safe disposal from the foam insulation
in domestic refrigeration equipment.
As I advised when we spoke last week, the European
Commission's view expressed at the Management Committee meeting
on 11-12 June is that Article 16(2) covers CFC-blown insulating
foam contained in domestic fridges and freezers as well as the
CFCs in the cooling circuit. We have also now received written
confirmation of this position by way of the Minutes of the Management
Committee Meeting. Therefore, to comply with the Regulation, the
UK will need to ensure that the CFCs from such foams are recovered
and dealt with as provided for in Article 16(2) after 31 December
2001.
I can also confirm that from 1 January 2002,
discarded domestic fridges and freezers containing CFCs will be
treated as hazardous wastes. This will have two main effects:
— it will increase the administrative
and financial cost of transporting waste CFC-containing equipment;
and
— it will be more difficult for sites
dealing with such waste to operate without a waste management
license.
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