Cold room panel disposal: ODS vs non-ODS explained
Taking out a cold room? The foam inside the panels decides how they must be handled. Here’s how to tell ODS from non-ODS panels and plan the removal.
· 2 min read · By the WEEE Want Your Waste team
The short version
- Older cold room panels may be insulated with foam blown with CFCs or HCFCs, which are ozone-depleting substances (ODS).
- ODS panels are hazardous waste and the foam must be treated so the gases are captured and destroyed.
- If you can’t confirm the panels are non-ODS, plan to treat them as ODS.
Why the foam matters
Cold room and freezer room panels are a sandwich of steel skins around a thick foam core. For many years that foam was blown using CFCs or HCFCs. The gas stays trapped in the foam for decades and is released when panels are cut, crushed or landfilled. That’s why panels containing these substances are hazardous waste and need specialist treatment.
How to tell ODS from non-ODS panels
- Check for a manufacturer’s label or data plate on the panels or door. It may state the foam type or blowing agent.
- Look up the original installation records or ask the company that fitted the room.
- Consider the age. Older installations are far more likely to contain ODS than recent ones.
- If none of that is conclusive, assume ODS. It’s the safe and compliant choice.
Planning a strip-out
- Have the refrigeration plant decommissioned and the refrigerant recovered by an F-gas certified engineer first.
- Measure the room (length, width and height) or count the panels.
- Agree whether panels will be dismantled by your contractor or by us, and where they’ll be stacked.
- Make sure there’s vehicle access to the loading point.
Every cold room panel collection is priced on the job, because size and panel type vary so much. Any refrigeration units coming out at the same time can go on the same visit through our commercial fridge disposal service.
Common questions
Are all cold room panels hazardous waste?
Panels containing ozone-depleting substances are hazardous. Non-ODS panels have simpler handling rules, but you need evidence to show which type you have.
Can you dismantle the cold room for us?
Tell us about the site when you enquire. We can collect panels that are already dismantled or quote to take the room down.
How is cold room disposal priced?
We quote each job based on the number and size of panels, whether they contain ODS, and access on site.
