While many types of chemicals impact the health of our ozone layer, HCFCs are known to be especially destructive. Research has revealed that R22 is not only one of the worst depletors of the ozone layer, but it is also a greenhouse gas more than 1,800 times more powerful than carbon in warming the planet.
The United States Clean Air Act and the international Montreal Protocol have put forth guidelines to end production of R22, only allowing it in limited amounts to be reclaimed from the air.
Since 2012, the price of R22 has risen by well over 300 percent, meaning it’s becoming prohibitively expensive for air conditioning services—and eventually consumers—to replace in air conditioning units.
