R404A disposal: rules, price and what to do with it
Since 1 January 2025, virgin R404A may no longer be used to top up or service refrigeration equipment. Reclaimed or recycled R404A remains allowed until 1 January 2030, after which that is banned too. That makes recovered R404A in demand as feedstock for reclamation now: Gaia Cooling collects it and makes sure it reaches a licensed reclamation plant.
- GWP
- 3922
- Type
- HFC blend
- Destination
- Reuse after reclamation
What applies to R404A
- 2020
Servicing refrigeration equipment with a charge of 40 tonnes CO₂ equivalent or more (for R404A, from about 10 kg) with virgin R404A is banned. New refrigeration equipment using R404A may no longer be placed on the market, except for applications below -50 °C.
- 2025
The ban on virgin R404A now applies to all refrigeration equipment, whatever the charge size. Top-ups are only allowed with reclaimed or recycled R404A.
- 2030
From 1 January 2030, reclaimed and recycled R404A may no longer be used to service refrigeration equipment either. The only exceptions are military equipment and applications that cool products below -50 °C.
R404A is mainly found in commercial and industrial refrigeration for low and medium temperatures: supermarkets, cold rooms and freezer rooms, cold stores, ice machines and transport refrigeration. Many systems built in the 2000s and 2010s still run on it.
New systems usually use CO₂ (R744), industrial plants also ammonia (R717), and smaller plug-in cabinets propane (R290). Existing systems are often converted to R448A or R449A. Note that these also fall under the 2032 ban on virgin refrigerant with a GWP of 750 or more.
Offering R404A
We collect recovered R404A from installers, wholesalers and equipment owners. Collection goes through a licensed carrier, we handle the paperwork and we look at the price lot by lot. The gas goes to a licensed reclamation plant and returns to the market for systems that still need topping up until 2030.
Questions about R404A
Can I still top up R404A?
Only with reclaimed or recycled R404A, and only until 1 January 2030. Since 1 January 2025, virgin R404A may not be used to service refrigeration equipment, whatever the charge size. You can recognise reclaimed gas by the label showing the batch number and the name and address of the reclamation facility.
Can I top up R404A after 2030?
No. From 1 January 2030, refrigeration equipment may not be topped up with R404A at all, not even with reclaimed or recycled gas. The only exceptions are military equipment and applications that cool products below -50 °C. A system that does not leak may keep running.
What is the difference between reclaimed and recycled R404A?
Recycled gas is reused after basic cleaning such as filtering and drying. It may only be used by the company that recovered it, or by the company the recovery was done for. Reclaimed gas has been reprocessed in a licensed reclamation facility to the quality of new gas, and may be supplied to others.
What sets the price for recovered R404A?
Every lot is different: gas type, purity, quantity and location set the price. Clean R404A in its own cylinder gets the best terms. We look at each lot separately and you know where you stand upfront. Because reclaimed R404A may only be used until 2030, recovered gas is in demand now and much less so later.
What do I do with R404A from a system that is being replaced or converted?
Have the gas recovered by a technician with a valid F-gas certificate, into a separate cylinder per gas type. It must then be recycled, reclaimed or destroyed. We have the cylinders collected by a licensed carrier and handle the paperwork. We look at the price lot by lot, and you know where you stand upfront.