Action soon on CFCs

Press, 25 July 1989, Page 15

Action soon on CFCs

PA Auckland Industries using chlorofluorocarbons are a step ahead of the Government’s phasing-out policy, with some ready to drop the ozone-damaging gas by the end of the year, aerosol manufacturers say. Aerosol Association spokesman, Mr Ross Bullock, said members told the Government last year that manufacturers would voluntarily remove the propellant by the end of the year. But although the Government’s ozone protection programme was laudable, New Zealand used such minimal amounts of CFCs compared with the rest of the world that it would not make much difference. “Our actions here will be worth while only if we can influence other industries in other countries,” Mr Bullock said.

The aerosol industry was committed to finding alternatives to CFCs. Ninety per cent of the industry belonged to the association and would ab'de by its policies. "Those who do not co-operate will be taken care of by the legislation.” Another main user of CFCs, the refrigeration, air-conditioning and plastic foam industry, has also tried to find an alternative. “We all knew the problem was coming up, so we got in early,” Fisher and Paykel’s chief engineer, Lindsey Roke, said. The industry had two choices — Refrigeration 22 or ammonia. R 22 had an ozone-depletion level of 0.05, compared with halon’s level of between three and 10.