20 November 2008
Uni-Select Exclusive
A Recycling First
Uni-Select has come up with a new program that has been put into effect in Ontario and Quebec…so far! Bertrand Matte, Product manager for anything that relates to heating and air conditioning parts for Uni-Select throughout Canada, explains.
Uni-Select has a program called The Cooling Depot. “This is where we train our stores to be knowledgeable about the products they sell. We also train them in the use of equipment associated with air conditioning,” said Matte.
Bernard Matte
“Refrigerant—the liquid in a vehicle’s air conditioning system—is a global warming affecting substance which is bad for the environment. It’s been an issue for many years. Many engineers are searching to replace the refrigerant, but as yet have not come up with the magic potion! The government, plus many companies, are trying to get installers to be very careful about how to recover that refrigerant from the vehicle. At times, some of the refrigerant gets into the air thus affecting global warming.”
Refrigerant laws
There are laws about refrigerant in Canada and they differ somewhat from province to province. The laws have been applied but are not being rigidly enforced in some instances. “In Quebec last year, it was decided that every technician in the province who worked on vehicle air conditioning, would have to be certified and this must happen by June 1 of this year. The certification they need in Quebec is called H3; in Ontario it has a different title. The Quebec law on refrigerant is behind this. The law now says that whenever you touch a car that has an air conditioning system, an installer must identify the type of refrigerant remaining in the car. Some people put the ‘wrong’ refrigerant in the A/C system, which makes some refrigerants worse for the environment than 134A.
“Through that certification, the government wants to make sure that installers will only use 134A when servicing the vehicle—the only refrigerant approved by the OEMs. If the refrigerant is not 134A or not pure, it must be recovered and put into a separate recovery tank— contaminated refrigerant. Every installer is mandated by law to do this, however not everyone will. Many professional installers are already using the correct recovery program.”
Concerned
Uni-Select became very concerned about the contaminated refrigerant recovery because when you take the course to be certified, they tell you that you have to recover the unapproved refrigerants in a separate container. And the government had not determined who would take care of getting rid of the contaminated refrigerants—a question that has been asked throughout the provinces for the last year.
“Our major concern at Uni-Select is the high volume of contaminated refrigerants in Ontario and Quebec—they’re the highest of all the provinces. We decided we wanted to go forward with a project and partner with a company that is equipped and approved to get rid of these mixed refrigerants. A system was needed whereby we could send the installer’s contaminated container that could be emptied legally, the contents burned and then sent back.”
The program is underway
Officially, Uni-Select now has this program underway. They will pick up any mixed refrigerants from installers in approved recovery containers and will be able to dispose of them throughout Ontario and Quebec. “We will also pick up contaminated refrigerants from our own installers as well as other banner installers. We are the first company to launch this service and we’re very proud to do so. Eventually, we will make this service available to other provinces across Canada. This will help global warming,” concluded Matte. | 
