Until now, EPA regulations have not specifically addressed how refrigerant recovered from a motor vehicle located at a salvage yard, scrap recycling facility, landfill or other motor vehicle disposal facility may be reused after it is recovered. Many service technicians and motor vehicle disposal facility operators have incorrectly believed that EPA requires that refrigerant removed from a motor vehicle bound for disposal must be sent to a reclaimer rather than recycled prior to reuse. In the discussion below, recycling means the use of a machine to remove impurities and oil and then recharge the refrigerant into either the same car or a different car. Recycled refrigerant is not as pure as reclaimed refrigerant.
Recycling occurs in the service shop.
Reclamation means the removal of all oil and impurities beyond that provided by on-site recycling equipment, and reclaimed refrigerant is essentially identical to new, unused refrigerant. Reclamation cannot be performed in the service shop. Rather, the shop generally sends refrigerant either back to the manufacturer or directly to a reclamation facility. Refrigerant from these other sources must be sent to a reclaiming facility. You should also note that certain states and localities may have more stringent requirements for the recovery and disposition of used refrigerant from motor vehicles.