Report Highlights Importance of Refrigerant Reclamation

Hudson Technologies, Inc. — one of the nation’s largest refrigerant reclaimers — sponsored a report by RMI (founded as Rocky Mountain Institute), assessing the emissions reduction impact of the implementation of R-410A refrigerant reclamation in the United States residential HVAC sector. The report finds that lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced by up to 70% (on a per-pound basis) through the use of reclaimed refrigerant versus producing and using newly manufactured virgin refrigerant. 

The residential air conditioning and heat pump (ACHP) market and the installed base are currently predominantly served by newly manufactured, virgin R-410A, which is a high-GWP refrigerant. The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Technology Transition Rule will prohibit the manufacturing of R-410A for new residential equipment beginning in 2025, as it promotes the sector’s transition to new equipment that requires lower-GWP refrigerants. However, a bridge is necessary to provide an orderly transition and to allow the current installed base of equipment to achieve its economic life, consisting of approximately the next 20 years. 

RMI’s report illustrates how R-410A reclamation mandates to service the existing installed base significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and can serve as a viable, climate-friendly solution to meet market demand for R-410A with reduced need for further virgin R-410A manufacturing as the industry evolves to new technology and refrigerants. 

“Refrigerant reclamation is an overlooked climate solution in the United States, and we are proud that Hudson is taking a leadership role in shaping the circular economy for refrigerants,” said Brian F. Coleman, president and chief executive officer of Hudson Technologies. “As the availability of virgin R-410A decreases to meet EPA’s phasedown goals, refrigerant reclamation will be essential to meeting the demand for existing systems, limiting market disruptions, ensuring a smooth transition for consumers, and providing a significant reduction to GWP. We are pleased to partner with RMI to illuminate the significant emissions reduction role refrigerant reclamation plays in protecting our environment.”  

Some of the key report findings include: 

• Reclaiming R-410A can reduce lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions by up to 70% compared to producing virgin refrigerant. 

• Maximizing refrigerant reclamation to serve ACHP equipment in U.S. homes can avoid 7.7 metric tons of CO₂ emissions by 2045 — equivalent to taking 1.8 million cars off the road for a year. 

• Recovering refrigerant is critical to a successful circular economy for refrigerants and supports achieving the full economic life of the installed base of equipment. 

• The barriers to recovery and reclamation identified in the report would apply to other refrigerants in the sector as well. 

“Refrigerants are the lifeblood of air-conditioning and heat pump equipment,” said Ankit Kalanki, co-author of the report and global cooling expert at RMI. “As the EPA implements new rules constraining the supply of high-GWP refrigerants and requiring a transition to more climate-friendly alternatives, recovering and reclaiming R-410A refrigerant for servicing millions of existing home heating and cooling systems will be paramount. By advancing reclamation practices, policymakers and industry can support the transition to lower-GWP refrigerants, reduce greenhouse gas emissions across supply chains, and protect both businesses and homeowners from potential price spikes and service disruptions.”