Same Freezability, Friendlier Refrigerants
At Ben & Jerry’s, we’re always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact—including the climate impact from the many thousands of freezer cabinets you’ll find stocked with Ben & Jerry’s in stores everywhere.
In December 2011, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved our petition for the commercial use of hydrocarbon (HC) freezers in the US.
HC freezers are significantly more energy-efficient and use a natural hydrocarbon refrigerant with lower global warming potential than the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants commonly used in US freezers, so the EPA approval was good news for the environment. A side benefit: HC freezers are cheaper to run than standard freezers, so we have high hopes that other companies will come to realize our subversive plot to save the environment includes some pretty nifty cost savings, too. In Europe, HC freezers are already in widespread use, including many that contain Ben & Jerry's ice cream.