Cooling Responsibly: How ATC is Helping to Beat Plastic Pollution
This World Environment Day, Applied Thermal Control is proud to join the global movement to beat plastic pollution. As a manufacturer of specialist recirculating chillers and process cooling systems, we are always looking for opportunities to reduce our environmental impact, not just thought product innovation, but through the materials and practices that we use every day.
Our environmental improvements are guided by the principles of ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems, which helps to ensure that we’re making measurable, responsible decisions across our operations.
Smarter Packaging: Durable, Recyclable, and Recycled
One of the most visible ways we’re supporting this year’s theme is through the use of Stratocell® E TLR packaging foam, a closed-cell, non-crosslinked polyethylene foam that consists of a minimum of 30% recycled content.
Stratocell® is designed for reuse, and in regions with appropriate recycling infrastructure, it can be mechanically or chemically recycled. It offers excellent cushioning with less material, helping us to minimise packing volume and protect our chillers during transit without relying on single-use or mixed-plastic solutions.
It’s a small change with big potential – reducing packaging waste, increasing recycled content in our supply chain, and improving the end-of-life options for our protective materials.
Reducing Plastic Waste in Cooling Systems
Plastic pollution in laboratories and industrial environments often goes unnoticed, but one of the biggest contributors is the use of tap water for cooling. These setups frequently require disposable plastic tubing, filters, and fittings, which degrade quickly under heat, pressure, or scaling conditions.
For example, a facility running three instruments on mains water, eight hours a day, five days a week, can easily consume over 500,000 litres of water per year. This not only wastes water, but also contributes to high volumes of plastic waste as hoses and connectors wear out and need regular replacement.
Switching to a recirculating chiller solves both problems. Closed-loop systems use water more efficiently, protect equipment from scale and contamination, and significantly reduce the number of plastic components that need frequent replacement.
Designed for Longevity, Not Landfill
A key part of reducing waste is designing equipment to last. Our chillers are built for long-term performance, with many systems staying in service for 10 years or more. We offer a full range of spare parts and maintenance support to help customers to get the most out of their equipment for as long as possible.
When a unit does reach the end of its life, we don’t want it going to landfill. That’s why we offer the ATC Chiller Scrappage Scheme, which allows customers to responsibly dispose of old cooling equipment when they upgrade. For UK customers, we’ll collect your existing unit and ensure that it is dismantled and processed through appropriate recycling channels. In many cases, we can also offer a discount on a replacement chiller as part of this scheme, helping to reduce waste and ease the transition to newer, more efficient technology.
This approach reduces environmental impact in multiple ways: fewer plastic parts discarded, more components recycled, and better overall energy efficiency in the replacement unit.
Lowering Emissions with Smarter Refrigerants
Although not directly related to plastic, refrigerant choice is another major environmental factor we address. Our newest product ranges use low-GWP refrigerants like R290 and R454C, which offer dramatic reductions in carbon impact compared to traditional gases like R134a.
To put that into context:
- A 1.2kg charge of R143a = 1,716kg CO2e
- A 1.2kg charge of R290 = 3.6kg CO2e
That’s a 99.8% reduction in global warming potential – all while delivering the same reliable, precise temperature control that our customers expect.
Doing Our Part to Beat Plastic Pollution
These actions form part of our broader commitment to environmental best practice under ISO 14001 certification, supporting continuous improvement in how we reduce waste, use resources, and protect the environment.
If you’re reviewing your own environmental impact this World Environment Day, and want to reduce plastic waste while improving efficiency and reliability, our team would be happy to help!
