Recycled cabinets are at a disadvantage in this environmentally conscious age.
IN THIS energy conscious, environmentally aware age, you would have thought that the recycling of old equipment would be positively encouraged.

Energy efficiency is a concern but when refurbished equipment can be made to at least match the performance of new equipment, then you would think that the UK government, burdened as it is by massive carbon emission reduction promises, would be hanging out the bunting in celebration.
Unfortunately, environmental politics is never as straightforward as that.

DEFRA's Energy Technology List (ETL) is the promised land for equipment suppliers. 'Be there or be severely disadvantaged' is the popular belief, and with good reason. While few end-users, it would appear, are taking advantage of the enhanced capital allowances that are available to ETL-listed products, specifiers are using it like a sort of official 'selection guide' of energy efficient equipment.

Manufacturers of refrigerated display cabinets, aware of the sales benefits of the ETL list, have been as keen as any to ensure that their products are included. However, refurbished cabinets are conspicuous by their absence. Despite accounting for a sizeable slice of the market, it was considered too complicated to include refurbished cabinets and the Inland Revenue had a problem with the idea of accepting what is basically second hand equipment for enhanced capital allowances.

Refurbishment first

While Chris Woolatts, md of the Bond Group, one of the UK's largest refurbishing companies, is far from happy to find his business disadvantaged in this way, even he admits that with such a broad range of cabinets testing would be costly. 'But companies should be encouraged to consider refurbished cabinets before buying new,' he insists.

'The ECA scheme is so stacked against refurbishment,' he claims resignedly. 'When it first came out we had discussions but didn't get a lot of joy. I cannot see the environmental sense in mining raw materials, shipping them to China to produce cabinets in factories powered by oil-fired power stations, then ship the finished cabinets to this country to replace perfectly serviceable cabinets consigned to landfill. I get frustrated because we actually see the amount of waste being created.
Refurbishment should be considered first. How do I change their thought process? I can't but legislation could.'

Bond certainly believes that recycling equipment versus buying new could result in carbon emission reductions in excess of 80% compared to buying new. In an effort to prove the point, the company has sponsored the Government backed Centre for Remanufacturing and Reuse (CRR) to perform the mathematical gymnastics involved in comparing the carbon emissions of the entire manufacturing/refurbishment process.

Negotiations

CRR is also currently negotiating to have remanufactured products included on the ECA list. It has intimated that DEFRA is not averse to their inclusion providing it can be proven that refurbishment can offer significant carbon savings and that the work is carried out to a stringent standard.

To this end the CRR is currently trying to develop a British Standard for remanufactured products. And it's not that Bond's refurbished cabinets would look out of place on the ETL-list. The company offers a multitude of energy saving options and technologies on its cabinets, all fully-tested in the company's dedicated r&d lab. These include the latest in energy-efficient fans and lighting technologies and Bond's patented ultrasonic nebuliser to replace condensate heaters in integral and remote cabinets.

BUN (Bonds Ultrasonic Nebuliser) uses ultrasonic vibrations to turn the condensate to a mist which is then dispelled from the unit via a UV filter to destroy any possible bugs. In doing so it uses just 1/10th of the energy required by traditional condensate heaters which can draw a minimum of 7kWh per day. For a major supermarket with thousands of cases the potential savings are obvious.

To corrupt a popular phrase - there's plenty of life left in those old cabinets.

THE Bond Group was formed in 1980 out of Bond Building Maintenance Ltd, carrying out cabinet installation work. Cabinet refurbishment began in 1989.

Based at Sheerness in Kent, but with branches at Stoke, Swindon and Falkirk, The Bond Group has since grown into the UK’s number 1 company for cabinet refurbishment, with a turnover in excess of £15m and 200 employees.

Bond also offers new cabinets in over 180 models and variants and a hire service on a short- or long-term basis. The company will also undertake compete asset management for supermarkets. In addition to refrigerated cabinets and freezers, this can include items like vending machines and even ATMs.

The Bond Group
01795 668515