In a groundbreaking move towards environmental responsibility, A-Gas, a pioneer in refrigerant lifecycle management, has received approval for Ecology Offset Credits from the Washington State Department of Ecology, a key regulatory authority in the state’s carbon market compliance. Simultaneously, SusGlobal Energy Corp. is making waves with its composting offset project in Ontario, selling Verified Emission Reductions and Removals (VERRs).
These initiatives underscore a commitment to sustainability and innovative solutions to combat climate change.
A-Gas (US) is a trading subsidiary of A-Gas International, the world’s biggest refrigerant recovery and reclamation company. It focuses on providing environmental solutions and lifecycle management services for ozone depleting substances and global warming agents.
Revolutionizing Refrigerant Recovery Through Carbon Credits
Utilizing their Rapid Recovery on-site refrigerant recovery service and Rapid Exchange on-demand cylinder swap service, along with collaboration with distributor partners, A-Gas collected refrigerant gasses from Washington State.
The collected gasses were then treated in A-Gas’ proprietary PyroPlas® plasma arc destruction units. It is the only technology of its kind in the U.S. approved for carbon offset generation.
PyroPlas® ensures the cleanest end-of-life treatment, achieving a remarkable 99.9999% efficiency in destroying Ozone Depleting Substances with minimal emissions. It also has no adverse environmental impacts.
The Department of Ecology has issued 109,180 Ecology Offset Credits to A-Gas. These credits can be used by covered entities in Washington to meet their emission reduction obligations under the state’s program.
American Carbon Standard (ACR) served as the Offset Project Registry, issuing serialized Registry Offset Credits for conversion into Ecology Offset Credits. The project adhered to the California Air Resources Board Compliance Offset Protocol for Ozone Depleting Substance Projects, adopted by the Washington Department of Ecology for generating the Registry Offset Credits.
Brooke Willard, Carbon Program Director for A-Gas, expressed pride in being among the first project developers for Ecology Offset Credits. A-Gas aims to manage refrigerant lifecycles effectively, contributing to environmental protection and enhancement.
Willard further added that:
“With the issuance of these credits, A-Gas is providing Washington organizations with a transparent mechanism to build a more sustainable future.”
A-Gas ambitiously aims to reach net zero emissions by 2035. The company also has a goal of reducing its existing emissions by 50% by 2028.
Over in Canada, a composting offset project has generated carbon credits called Verified Emission Reductions and Removals (VERRs).
Turning Waste into Gold
SusGlobal Energy Corp., an environmental, agricultural and industrial biotechnology company, has sold 3,000 VERRs as part of the SusGlobal Belleville Composting Offset Project in Ontario. The company focuses on acquiring, developing, and monetizing a portfolio of proprietary technologies in the waste to energy and regenerative product applications globally.
This new sale brings the total number of carbon credits sold by the company to an impressive 42,302. Anew Climate, formerly known as Blue Source, developed the project.
A noteworthy achievement of the project is its contribution to the increased diversion of organic waste from landfills. This significantly helps in mitigating methane generation.
Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, is 28x more effective at trapping heat energy in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. By diverting waste from landfills, the composting offset project addresses this environmental concern, benefitting both the community and the climate.
In 2021, Canada’s waste-sector methane emissions were 21 metric tons of CO2e or 0.96 metric tons of methane. It accounts for nearly 22% of the total methane emissions in the country in 2020, as seen below.
The demand from municipalities to divert organic waste from landfills remains strong. Composting facilities with sustainable management practices are crucial in this waste redistribution process.
Ontario is planning to ban food and organic waste in conventional waste sites under the Environmental Protection Act. This regulation helps unlock opportunities for waste reduction and innovative resource recovery throughout the value chain. This change is advantageous for SusGlobal, enhancing its infrastructure, assets, licenses, and capacity to produce lower-carbon options at existing facilities.
Fueling Composting for Cleaner Environment
SusGlobal Belleville operates as an aerobic composting facility, specializing in the processing of residential source-separated organic waste and industrial, commercial, and institutional organic waste into high-quality compost.
The facility collaborates with local municipalities, including the City of Belleville, County of Northumberland, the Municipality of Port Hope, the Township of Cavan Monaghan, and Prince Edward County, for waste collection.
Verified Emission Reductions and Removals (VERRs) associated with the composting offset project are validated by an independent third party.
Marc Hazout, Executive Chairman, President, and CEO of SusGlobal Energy Corp., expressed appreciation of this sale, saying that:
“We are pleased with the continued amounts that Anew has marketed and sold as part of our Company’s carbon credits monetization initiative, allowing us to generate additional revenues.”
The anticipated revenue from carbon credits would drive technological advancements, boosting the expansion of composting efforts not just at the SusGlobal Belleville facility but in other municipalities across North America. This underscores the company’s commitment to continuous innovation and environmental stewardship.
A-Gas secures Ecology Offset Credits from its refrigerant recovery and SusGlobal continues to thrive in carbon credit sales. Both companies show the transformative power of corporate responsibility in reducing carbon emissions and building a sustainable future.