How to Protect the Ozone Layer
Check your fire extinguishers to find active ingredients., Don’t buy aerosol products with chlorofluorocarbons (CFC)., Dispose of pre-1995 refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units properly., Buy lumber, wood products and plywood that were...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Check your fire extinguishers to find active ingredients.
If “halon” or “halogenated hydrocarbon” is the main ingredient, find a hazardous waste center at which to recycle it or call your local fire department for instructions on how to dispose of it.Replace it with a model without this harmful ozone-depleting chemical. -
Step 2: Don’t buy aerosol products with chlorofluorocarbons (CFC).
Although CFCs have been banned or reduced in many applications, the only way to be sure is to check the label on all your hairsprays, deodorants and household chemicals.
Opt for pump spray products over pressurized cans, to further reduce your chance of buying CFCs. , These devices use chlorofluorocarbons to function, so leaks release the chemical into the atmosphere.
Call your local utility company to see if there is a bounty program in your area that your appliance qualifies for.If not, contact your municipal department of public works to ask how to dispose of refrigerated appliances in your neighborhood., Wood treated with this pesticide will “off gas” elemental bromine that depletes the ozone layer.
All pallets or crates carry a stamp that shows how they were treated:
HT indicates they were heat treated while MB means methyl bromide was used.For other woods, ask the person who is selling to you how the wood was treated.
Researching and choosing construction products that don’t employ bromomethane could be just as important as stopping the use of CFCs at home, since elemental bromine has been found to be more toxic to the ozone layer. -
Step 3: Dispose of pre-1995 refrigerators
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Step 4: freezers
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Step 5: and air conditioning units properly.
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Step 6: Buy lumber
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Step 7: wood products and plywood that were not treated with methyl bromide.
Detailed Guide
If “halon” or “halogenated hydrocarbon” is the main ingredient, find a hazardous waste center at which to recycle it or call your local fire department for instructions on how to dispose of it.Replace it with a model without this harmful ozone-depleting chemical.
Although CFCs have been banned or reduced in many applications, the only way to be sure is to check the label on all your hairsprays, deodorants and household chemicals.
Opt for pump spray products over pressurized cans, to further reduce your chance of buying CFCs. , These devices use chlorofluorocarbons to function, so leaks release the chemical into the atmosphere.
Call your local utility company to see if there is a bounty program in your area that your appliance qualifies for.If not, contact your municipal department of public works to ask how to dispose of refrigerated appliances in your neighborhood., Wood treated with this pesticide will “off gas” elemental bromine that depletes the ozone layer.
All pallets or crates carry a stamp that shows how they were treated:
HT indicates they were heat treated while MB means methyl bromide was used.For other woods, ask the person who is selling to you how the wood was treated.
Researching and choosing construction products that don’t employ bromomethane could be just as important as stopping the use of CFCs at home, since elemental bromine has been found to be more toxic to the ozone layer.
About the Author
Rachel Griffin
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow home improvement tutorials.
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