Freezers and CFC Gases...?

[Simon & Emily]

After yet another visit from a shipping company, this one has been the first to pass comment on our chest freezer. He claims that in about 1999 NZ banned the use of CFC gasses, and therefore any fridge/freezer that is older than that or uses such gasses will be automatically disposed of upon entry, with us footing the bill.

Can anyone either confirm or deny this? I have no reason to not believe him, but so far each of the sales reps have given us such a range of 'opinions' on what will happen we're just trying to verify everthing. Every other rep has just added it to his list with no comment whatsoever.

If it's true, I guess we have no option but to leave it here, as it's at least 7 years old, and has no info stickers or tech spec attached. However, it doesn't owe us anything as we only paid about £25 for it ....

Thanks,

Emily

[katandbob]

yeah funnily enuf the guy round today said you couldnt take any food....?? now I know thats not true .....Ah Bisto!!

ha ha

bet they all say slightly different things to us by the time they have all been round.

Kat

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Emily,

The rep is quite right about the freezer, if it contains CFC’s you are not supposed to bring it.
If you do and it’s spotted (which in all lightly hood it will be) you will get charged for it’s disposal.

I don’t think its worth shipping loads of possessions, but I did ship a large chest freezer with me (quite a new one, no CFC’s). If you find a chest freezer useful, and your shipping furniture anyway I would definitely go and buy a new freezer and bring it with you, it will pay for its own shipping!

Regards Bob

P.S I’d be concerned about the competence of a shipper who was willing to let me load up a 7 year old freezer without commenting!

P.P.S if you do buy new, unwrap and use it before you pack it (even if for only a day!)

[jubjub]

Our upright one is nearly 10 yrs old... dunno if its got CFC's or not, no-one ever mentioned it...

[richard]

After yet another visit from a shipping company, this one has been the first to pass comment on our chest freezer. He claims that in about 1999 NZ banned the use of CFC gasses, and therefore any fridge/freezer that is older than that or uses such gasses will be automatically disposed of upon entry, with us footing the bill.

Can anyone either confirm or deny this?

Emily

Ignore them, it is ok to bring it.

When we emigrated a couple of years ago I contacted customs to ask the same question. They said:-

Rather than Customs being responsible for such goods at the border it is the responsibility of the Ministry of Economic Development (formerly Commerce) who are responsible for the importation of CFC based products under their ACT "The Ozone Layer Protection Act and Regulations". The Customs role is to refer you to this dept.to see whether a Permit/Exemption will be issued or not , you can contact the Ministry of Economic Development (MED) via their website www.med.govt.nz

So I contacted them and they said:-

Thank you for your enquiry regarding the importation of a fridge freezer containing the CFC R12. In New Zealand the importation of ozone depleting substances is regulated by the Ozone Layer Protection Act 1996. Regulation 21 of the Ozone Layer Protection Regulations provides an exemption for the importation of prohibited substances for personal and household effects. This means you may import your fridge into New Zealand.

[bob_the_engineer]

*Gulp*

Hi Richard, your post really surprised me!

The Prohibited Imports page, of NZ Customs Service has the following paragraph

“Dehumidifiers, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, supermarket display cases, heat pumps, and water coolers that contain any CFCs” are on the prohibited list. (Here is the link to the list)

http://www.customs.govt.nz/importers...ts/default.htm

The responsible authorities are: Ministry for the Environment; Ministry of Economic Development.

The Legislation from the Montreal Protocol states: (and it is listed on the Ministry for the Environment’s page)


“Prohibits the manufacture and importing of CFCs (except for uses determined by the Parties to the Montreal Protocol to be essential)”.
So unless importing your old fridge is “essential” and you can get the parties of the Montreal Protocol to agree it, then MED are flouting the rules that the Ministry for the Environment abide by!


I think that this should be pointed out to the person from MED who granted you permission to import your fridge.

Here is the Ministry for the Environment’s take on it http://www.mfe.govt.nz/issues/ozone/...-strategy.html IMHO I think it should be email to MED

Again I have to say I’d leave the old freezer behind.

Kind Regards Bob

[richard]

*Gulp*

Hi Richard, your post really surprised me!

The Prohibited Imports page, of NZ Customs Service has the following paragraph

“Dehumidifiers, refrigerators, freezers, air conditioners, supermarket display cases, heat pumps, and water coolers that contain any CFCs” are on the prohibited list. (Here is the link to the list)

So unless importing your old fridge is “essential” and you can get the parties of the Montreal Protocol to agree it, then MED are flouting the rules that the Ministry for the Environment abide by!


I think that this should be pointed out to the person from MED who granted you permission to import your fridge.

.....

Again I have to say I’d leave the old freezer behind.

Kind Regards Bob

Hi Bob, I don't why you are surprised. The email from MED stated that regulation 21 of the act exempts personal imports. Here it is:-


21.Prohibition not to apply to certain personal effects—

Nothing in regulation 19 of these regulations shall make it unlawful for any person to import any goods that are personal or household effects in respect of which an officer is satisfied that they are not intended for any other person or for gift, sale, or exchange.


And if you fancy a bit of light reading here is the whole act:-

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/libraries/contents/om_isapi.dll?clientID=2622143896&hitsperheading=on &infobase=pal_statutes.nfo&record={2E175898}&softp age=DOC

So panic over, the only question should be 'is it worth bringing an old freezer'

When we bought our old house in the UK in 12 years ago we negotiated the fridge/freezer in to the deal. It was quite old then but it is still working fine now having travelled across the globe. We also brought with us an under bench fridge and under bench freezer.

To take advantage of specials, to enable bulk buying and also to tuck away seasonal produce we have since bought a large upright freezer too.

If there is room in the container I say bring it, there is no reason not to.

[bob_the_engineer]

Hi Richard, do you know what, I was convinced that you couldn’t import CFC’s into NZ, but after reading your posts I have my doubts.

I’m really not sure if you can or not, I read the link you posted and got a little lost reading through it. I think it is some kind of an analysis of two regulations.

In one part of the document it does say that the Ministry for the Environment’s has overriding control, as you said you were allowed to import, on the other hand the regulations imply that if you can import CFC’s then you are also allowed to manufacture them here too.

I don’t know, it’s becoming a bit confusing. I’m sure that there are lots of people out there who have the same question as Emily, since the rules seem to change, I thought it would be useful to ask the Ministry for the Environment and post the answer.

I’ll post my email and thier response in the forum (all good info I guess, but I think it would also be interesting to know if you can freely move CFC’s across the planet in a container that’s not really that robust)

Kind Regards Bob

[bob_the_engineer]

Well as they say “you live and learn”

Richard is right, I got it wrong, I now also think you can bring a freezer containing CFC’s to NZ.

The Ministry for the environment kindly sent the following to me.

“Here is the link to the Ozone regulations site where the answers to your enquiry lie, in particular Regs 19-21

http://www.legislation.govt.nz/libraries/contents/om_isapi.dll?clientID=93827&hitsperheading=on&info base=pal_regs.nfo&record={FB49A83B}&softpage=DOC

“

Kind Regards Bob

[Simon & Emily]

Many thanks to you both. Just glad that we can take it over, as it's soooo great to have a huge freezer for when you see a bargain to buy.

Just go to clean all the mould off it now ...

Emily