Tackling Australia's Invisible Climate Risk

Refrigerant leakage from discarded appliances is one of Australia’s most overlooked climate risks.

Every year, over 3 million refrigerators and air conditioners reach end-of-life. Many still contain harmful synthetic gases that are quietly leaking into the atmosphere—undetected and unmanaged - undermining national climate targets and circular economy ambitions.

Our new White Paper, developed by Civic Futures Lab in partnership with Winning Group and supported by the NSW EPA Sustainability Partnerships program, provides a data-led, solutions-focused roadmap for improving refrigerant and appliance recovery in Australia.

What’s inside the White Paper

• A breakdown of Australia’s refrigerant and appliance recovery gaps

• Case studies from Winning Group (Australia) and AO Recycling (UK)

• Key figures: Up to 65% of recovered units still contain gas

• Each recovered unit can prevent up to 235 kg of CO₂-e

• An outline of the policy, stewardship and infrastructure reforms required

• A call for coordinated national action and pilot collaboration