2022
OFFSET PROJECTS
HFC Reclamation in Refrigerants (Georgia, USA)
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are nontoxic, nonflammable chemicals containing atoms of carbon, chlorine, and fluorine. They are used in the manufacture of aerosol sprays, blowing agents for foams and packing materials, as solvents, and as refrigerants.
Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) were developed as an alternative to CFCs as they do not damage the ozone layer, but they have a very high global warming potential. These gases (such as R-22) had been used as a replacement for CFCs, but production and importation of these gases have been prohibited since 2020 in developed countries (i.e., U.S) and in 2030 in developing countries. Since 2020 only recovered and reclaimed HCFCs can be used in the US.
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are super greenhouse gases, manufactured for use in refrigeration, air conditioning, foam blowing, aerosols, fire protection, and solvents. HFCs were developed as alternatives to CFCs and HCFCs that are being phased out under the Montreal Protocol. HFCs are the most abundant gases in cooling systems globally, but due to their very high global warming potential, they are responsible for between 1% and 3% of all GHG emissions globally.
Due to the high global warming potential of HFC refrigerant gases widely used across the world, these gases cannot and should not be vented into the atmosphere. This project recycles and reclaims HFC refrigerant gases preventing virgin gases from being produced without leaking any HFCs into the atmosphere.
HFC Replacement in Foam Blowing Agents (Minnesota, USA)
Blowing agents are a key ingredient in the production of foam, especially spray foam used for home insulation. These blowing agents contain chemicals that release powerful greenhouse gases during manufacturing, use, and end-of-life (destruction). Most of the blowing agents on the market today are potent Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). See above.
This project eliminates the greenhouse gas emissions from HFC blowing agents by replacing them with environmentally friendly alternatives, such as Ecomate or Omega which have a negligible impact on global warming and do not deplete the ozone layer.
"ClimeCo and Ascend Performance Materials have created the largest voluntary N2O abatement project in North America. Ascend, the largest fully integrated producer of nylon 6,6 resin, developed and installed a proprietary technology to voluntarily abate nitrous oxide (N2O), a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential 265 times that of carbon dioxide. The abatement of N2O is facilitated via Ascend’s operation of a Thermal Reduction Unit (TRU). The operation and improvements made to the TRU have reduced millions of tonnes of CO2e."
Landfill Gas Capture and Recovery (New York, USA)
Located less than 70 miles from Colgate in Fulton County (NY), this project captures methane emissions from the landfill and uses it to generate electricity.
Located in the Finger Lakes region of New York State, this nonprofit fund works to promote clean energy projects while simultaneously strengthening the regional economy and assisting local low-to-moderate-income families in need. Offset purchases finance grants that fund energy efficiency projects and renewables for households, such as insulation, air sealing, and heat pumps.