Climate-friendly cabinets
Most ice cream cabinets use hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants – a powerful greenhouse gas that replaced ozone-depleting CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons).
In 2000, Unilever committed to implement a non-HFC purchasing policy for ice cream freezer cabinets in all countries by 2005 (where commercially viable alternatives can be legally used).
The roll-out started one year ahead of schedule in 2004, using a hydrocarbon, propane, as the refrigerant. Hydrocarbons are natural gases which do not harm the ozone layer and have a very low global warming potential. By the end of April 2007, about 200 000 hydrocarbon cabinets had been installed throughout Europe, identified by the green label, 'eco-friendly freezer'.
Greater energy efficiency
Laboratory trials suggest hydrocarbon cabinets are more energy efficient, using up to 15% less energy, compared with other models. Longer-term trials in Australia showed a 9% reduction in energy use compared with HFC cabinets.
Although hydrocarbon refrigerants have been available in household freezers for some time, Unilever was the first company to commit to use them commercially on a large scale.
Working in partnership
Unilever has been working in close co-operation with Greenpeace in the development of this new technology since 1996, in an alliance called Refrigerants, Naturally!.
This came about after Greenpeace challenged Unilever, Coca-Cola and McDonald's to help make the 2000 Sydney Olympics the 'Green Olympics'. Working in partnership with Greenpeace and the United Nations Environment Programme, the companies share technical know-how, collaborate on initiatives and encourage other companies to eliminate greenhouse gases from refrigeration equipment. They meet up to four times a year.
In 2007, PepsiCo, IKEA and Carlsberg joined the alliance. "We are delighted they have joined us," said Unilever's Alan Gerrard. "As a company that has already made real progress in making our freezer cabinets more environmentally friendly, we're passionate about sharing our achievements with more companies and learning from each others' experience."
Continuing to look for alternatives
Unilever continues to look for alternative refrigeration solutions to reduce environmental impact. Initiatives include testing the world's first prototype thermoacoustic freezer which uses soundwaves, and investigating the use of energy-saving solar power in refrigeration.
