WHEN Daikin UK first launched its recycling scheme in January 2007, it was a first for the UK air conditioning industry. So how successful has it been and how is it likely to evolve in the future?
During the past decade concern for the environment has grown amongst businesses. An increasing amount of legislation, coupled with a general raised awareness of social responsibility for the environment, has pushed the environment up the agenda for many and caused companies to think about the impact that they are having on the world around them.

Although air conditioning units are not currently covered under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive, it was the introduction of this legislation in 2007 that prompted Daikin UK to launch its own air conditioning recycling scheme. The scheme was the first of its kind within the UK and despite a slow start, the customer base has grown and is now reported to be a huge success. To date the service has been used by 67 installers, who have recycled 947 items, with many installers having used it more than once.

“We recognised the opportunity to lead the industry and set an example for others to follow while offering a valuable service for installers and end-users alike,” says Alison Jones, supply chain manager, Daikin UK.

“Furthermore, we wanted to encourage best practice with regards the removal of potentially harmful refrigerants that could be leaked into the atmosphere if a unit was not disposed of in the correct manner.

“Our installer customers were already reporting to us that the energy efficiency of equipment was becoming more of a concern to their customers. When companies were contacting installers to enquire about new air conditioning equipment, increasingly it was found that they wanted to replace their current equipment with more energy efficient models that would be better for the environment and cheaper to run.

“Although this is great news both for the environment and for the air conditioning industry as a whole, replacing the old equipment with a new, energy efficient solution, means that the redundant equipment has to be disposed off in some way. A huge concern for us at Daikin UK was that the equipment may simply go into landfill when much of it could actually be recycled.”

How does it work?

Under the scheme, installers who are providing a Daikin air conditioning solution to a customer are offered the opportunity to dispose of the equipment at the end of its life through the Daikin recycling scheme, regardless of who the equipment was manufactured by. It is dismantled and hazardous substances destroyed in a safe manner, with up to 95% of the residual matter reclaimed for further use.

Selling point

Paul Worth, md of 360° Engineering Ltd used the recycling service for the first time when fitting a new air conditioning solution at designer clothing store, Joseph, in Mayfair. “We were tasked with replacing the air conditioning system at the Joseph clothes shop in London with a new, energy efficient solution,” he explained. “When we heard about Daikin’s new recycling scheme, we were keen to work with the company. It proved to be a real selling point to our customer who was pleased to hear that the equipment they no longer needed would be disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner and showed them that both 360° Engineering and Daikin UK are aware of their environmental impact.”

The service is offered to our customers at a minimal cost. Although the cost is quoted on a job by job basis, Daikin maintains that it often works out to be less than the cost of disposing of the equipment through alternative means. In addition, the end user benefits from knowing that the old equipment will be taken away by the same company who will deliver the new equipment, minimising disruption.

The scheme is also said to have been commercially advantageous to Daikin’s installer customers, who have found that by offering the recycling scheme to their customers, they have stood out from the competition, giving their business and reputation as an environmentally friendly company a boost. In addition, the scheme has reduced the time and cost of administering and disposing of the old equipment that the installers would once have faced.

The future

At the moment there are some restrictions on the size of the units that Daikin can recycle due to logistical challenges. However, if larger units can be disposed of at a reasonable cost to the customer, then Daikin will handle these as well. By the end of this year, Daikin hopes to be able to offer the service as standard on all units regardless of size.

Currently, new equipment is delivered to the end users’ premises on one day and the redundant equipment collected at a later date. Same day collection and delivery is expected to be available later this year.