Instead, it should only be used to promote technologies that are safe for the ozone, do not contribute significantly to the greenhouse effect, and are environmentally benign. Ultimately, the decision regarding which alternative refrigerants and insulation blowing agents are most suitable for replacing ozone depleting CFCs in domestic refrigeration, should be based what is best for the ozone layer and the atmosphere. Greenpeace, along with an increasing number of engineers and scientists, maintains that the future of environmentally safer refrigeration lies with natural substances, such as hydrocarbons, CO2, ammonia, water, air. Among these natural substances, hydrocarbon technologies are the most readily available at the present time for the purposes of domestic refrigeration. With hydrocarbon technology, there is no need for the chemical industry's two-step, environmentally harmful and economically wasteful approach.
Hydrocarbons have zero ozone depletion potential, and very low global warming impact.
Fortunately, they are also very efficient refrigerants and blowing agents for insulation foam. The company had been producing refrigerators for 50 years and was the leading household appliance manufacturer in the former East Germany. After reunification, however, it faced severe economic problems and was due to be closed down. The meeting between the scientists and DKK Scharfenstein resulted in the birth of 'Greenfreeze' technology for domestic refrigeration. Greenfreeze refrigerators use hydrocarbons for both the blowing of the insulation foam and the refrigerant and they are entirely free of ozone destroying and global warming chemicals.