Cool-Safe Information

Cool-Safe is New Zealand’s single product stewardship scheme for the safe disposal of refrigerants. It is the accredited scheme for the priority product (regulated) that is accredited by the Ministry for the Environment under the Waste Minimisation Act 2008. We support and work alongside all sectors of the New Zealand refrigerant industry - service companies and technicians, commercial and industrial refrigerant owners, commissioning engineers across the HVACR sector. Operating a national refrigerant gas cylinder collection service, Cool-Safe aims to maximise the recovery, reclamation and safe destruction of contaminated, surplus and unwanted synthetic greenhouse gas refrigerants and, in doing so, minimise greenhouse gas emissions into our atmosphere. Recovered refrigerants are collected nationwide by our free Coolest Courier service ahead of being destroyed using cost-effective, environmentally safe technology. The Cool-Safe recovery service is free to all holders of SGG refrigerants. A bounty of $40 + GST per kilo is paid to the owners of this mixed waste refrigerant. All CFC, HCFC, HFC gases are eligible for the Bounty payment. In addition to the mixed waste Bounty Buy-Back programme, our Bulk Buy-Back service targets single stream refrigerants - for which we pay significant monies for. As of July 2025, we have reinvested over $5m back into the industry through our buy-back initiatives. And we have only just begun! In order for you to engage with our service, Cool-Safe offers loan flammable and non-flammable recovery cylinders. In addition to the direct recovery programmes, Cool-Safe is investing in developing an HVACR training and qualification framework, which will be recognised through the accredited scheme from 2027/28. If you have any questions, please call our 0800 134 410 customer service team.