Tradewater is an organization that collects and eliminates ozone-depleting substances (ODS) worldwide. In this particular project, ODS is gathered from various locations in Texas, Illinois, Georgia, and New York, and transported to Ohio for destruction.
Avoidance of high Global Warming Potential gasses is one of the fastest ways to cut emissions in the near term. Since these gasses can’t be removed by natural or technological solutions, avoidance is key.
The ODS refrigerant used in this project comes from two sources: recovery from decommissioned building chillers and disposable cylinders/drums containing virgin material. The refrigerant, which would otherwise be stored or used in chiller systems with older refrigerants, is at risk of eventually venting due to storage container corrosion, equipment breakdowns, or mishandling. By sending the refrigerants to Heritage Thermal Services, an eligible destruction facility, Tradewater mitigates the risk of venting.
The collected ODS refrigerant is consolidated into half-ton cylinders at the Tradewater facility and then further consolidated into a single ISO tank for transportation to the destruction facility, where it undergoes incineration.
To ensure accurate measurement and verification, every container of ODS destroyed by Tradewater is weighed and sampled by third parties. The destruction facility closely monitors the incineration process, guaranteeing that over 99.99% of the ODS is destroyed, as required by strict environmental regulations.
Tradewater accounts for emissions generated during the collection, transport, and destruction of ODS, reducing the number of offsets issued accordingly. The organization also considers the use of substitute chemicals to replace the destroyed refrigerants, incorporating additional reductions into its protocols.
Detailed information regarding these ODS destruction projects, including emissions accounting, is published by Tradewater in a Certificate of Destruction.