Scotsman - 15 Years On and Still In the Clear Zone
European Regulation 2037/2000 will present owners of several icemaker brands with a major headache, but if you've got a self-contained Scotsman, manufactured since 1987, you've got no problems.
Hubbard Ice Systems, the distributor of the Scotsman range of ice makers, has confirmed that all Scotsman self-contained ice makers manufactured since 1987 meet the new European regulation on ozone depleting substances (ODS) that came into force on January 1 2002.
The regulation, which covers the disposal of insulating materials such as those polyurethane foams which contain ODS, will make it very hard for many owners to dispose of old ice makers, and may discourage them from upgrading to more modern units.
Hubbard Ice Systems says that anyone who bought a Scotsman self-contained icemaker in the last fifteen years will have no worries on this point, since they contain no ODS in their insulation.
"We know that the market is concerned about the implications of the regulation and we want to allay any fears concerning Scotsman self-contained models," says Chris Davis, commercial director. "Since 1987 Scotsman has used polystyrene blown with pentane, which is not an ODS, to insulate storage bins and evaporator chambers in both self-contained cubers (the ACM range) and flakers (the AF range)."
Trevor Fellowes, technical manager at Hubbard Ice Systems, explains the situation. "Whilst recovery of ODS from the cooling circuit has been a requirement since the early 1990's, the new regulation also requires removal of ODS from insulating materials like polyurethane foam, which will be classed as hazardous waste. Currently there are no suitable process plants in the UK to handle their safe disposal."
Historically, the normal disposal route for redundant equipment has been via the local scrap merchant. But, as Trevor points out: "Unfortunately, to avoid either transporting equipment to process plants in Europe or stockpiling until a plant exists in the UK, most scrap merchants are refusing to accept refrigeration containing polyurethane foam. Which means you can't get rid of the equipment. "Luckily for owners of self-contained Scotsman ice makers supplied since 1987, this won't be a problem."
