Importers Wholesalers Group: The IWG is an industry group representing the Importers and Wholesalers of refrigeration gases to the NZ market. The group (IWG) is formed as a subcommittee under Refrigeration Air conditioning Companies Association (RACCA) and its members are responsible for the majority of the synthetic greenhouse gas (SGG) volume imported and distributed in NZ.
IWG was formed because the members recognised the need to be
proactive in working with Government and the market over the
minimisation of the emissions of SGG's imported and distributed
by them.
The group objective has been agreed as follows:
To develop a best practice recommendation on how to minimise
SGG emissions from a supply and distribution perspective and to
lobby government to have this included in legislation. This to
be developed with cognisance of the requirements on installers
as well as on the matter of recovery and destruction of used
gas
This objective is specific to the obligations imposed by the
Kyoto protocol and is also specific about the need to have
Government support via legislation. The IWG provides a valid
vehicle via which the distribution industry for SGG's can
consult with Government or other interested parties.
Industry Led Initiatives (Product
stewardship in action):
Heel Project (SMF): Presently SGG's are imported free of any controls to prevent emissions and are packaged primarily in "disposable jugs" (gas bottles, commonly just called jugs), which are discarded when used. It has not been determined how much gas is released to atmosphere as a consequence of this uncontrolled disposal. As you are probably aware, 1kg of some of these SGG's have the GWP of 4800kg of CO2.
The IWG have determined that fundamental to the groups core objective above is the first step of quantifying the magnitude of the problem i.e. what quantity of SGG's are being emitted via the uncontrolled disposal of these jugs of gas. We undertook a national project to sample the market of used jugs to measure residual gas levels. We have now completed this project and have submitted the results and report to Mfe under the Sustainable Management Fund.