New F-Gas Penalties: Are You Prepared?
UK Authorised Treatment Facilities for End of Life Vehicles and individual Vehicle Dismantling Technicians, could be at risk of fines up to £200,000 if they breach the new F‑Gas regulations that entitle local government bodies and authorities to apply civil penalties for non-compliance.
The Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases (Amendment) Regulations 2018 were laid before Parliament in January and enforcement bodies will be entitled to apply penalties from April 2018.
The aim of the penalties is to act as a deterrent to companies and individuals for non-compliant behaviours.
There are various levels of fines that can be applied depending on the offence:
- The maximum fine that could be imposed is £200,000. This would be enforced due to the intentional release of F‑Gases such as R134a into the environment, which is also deemed as a criminal offence.
- Failing to comply with regulations and procedures for minimising emissions or leakage could incur penalties of up to £100,000. This could also be applied if F‑Gases are not properly recovered from End of Life Vehicles.
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Q. What will you do with the gas I send you?
A. The gas is analysed to determine what it is and how badly contaminated it is (R134a taken from an average age ELV of 10 years is usually contaminated). The result of the analysis will determine if the gas is sent for treatment to allow it to be reused or sent for incineration.
Q. I have been told used R134a has a value, so why are you charging for disposal?
A. Used R134a does have a value if it is cleaned and treated. Unfortunately, the cost to clean and treat this gas to the required standard is expensive. At the uncleaned and untreated stage, the gas has little value, and if incineration is required that is expensive, so we have to make a small charge. Also, the charge we make includes the return of your bottle to you.
Q. Can I put R134a taken from an ELV in to a customer’s car?
A. You could, but it is not recommended because contaminated gas put in to another vehicle could cause damage to the vehicles AC compressor.
Q. Why do I have to open an “F Gas recycling account”?
A. Legislation concerning hazardous waste requires that we receive and hold specific information about you, before we can deal with you.
Q. How do I get my bottles to you?
A. You can either bring your bottles to us yourself, or use a parcel company such as TNT. (Your courier must be aware they are transporting hazardous waste) Don’t forget a waste transfer note!
Q. Can I mix R134a and R1234yf in the same cylinder?
A. No, these two gases must be kept separate, R1234yf is flammable and goes through a different recycling process.
Q. Where can I find more information on my obligations?
A. Government Website https://www.gov.uk/guidance/recovering-reclaiming-and-recycling-f-gas#get-your-f-gas-reclaimed-or-recycled
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