I am writing today to clarify one point about recycling and recovery of refrigerants. The recycling of an alternative other than HFC-134a is not currently covered by a specific standard. After receiving several inquiries about this bullet point, I realize that my discussion was somewhat broad. Recovered refrigerant must then either be reclaimed or destroyed. Refrigerant may not be vented.
Recovery occurs in the service shop.
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.