Did you know that your old air-con unit is not just bulky e-waste but packed with valuable materials that can be recycled?
In Singapore, as much as 90 per cent of an air-conditioning unit can be recycled, including the refrigerant gas inside. This process is already in action at Gain City’s dedicated recycling facility in Sungei Kadut, which operates under the National Environment Agency’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme introduced in 2021.
The EPR scheme is part of Singapore’s broader plan to manage electronic waste more effectively. It ensures that e-waste, like used air-conditioners, is properly collected, dismantled, and processed to recover valuable materials.
Gain City’s facility is one of only two in Singapore specially set up for air-con recycling. The other is run by Alba in Tuas. Recycling air-conditioners is especially important because they contain refrigerants like hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are harmful to the environment if not handled correctly.
As a spokesperson from the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) explained:
“Recycling air-conditioners is crucial because they contain refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which can have a significant environmental impact if not properly recovered.”
Adding that HFCs are thousands of times more potent in causing global warming than carbon dioxide.
Beyond gases, air-con units also contain recyclable metals like copper and aluminium. Recovering these materials reduces the need to mine raw materials and helps ease the pressure on Singapore’s limited landfill space.
NEA also noted,
“E-waste also contains small amounts of hazardous substances that may harm the environment and our health, if improperly disposed of.”
Singapore generates about 60,000 tonnes of e-waste every year, but only 6 per cent is currently recycled. That is roughly the equivalent of each person throwing away 73 mobile phones annually.
On July 10, media representatives were invited to Gain City’s recycling facility as part of a visit organised by the Public Hygiene Council. They observed how a used air-con unit is dismantled and processed for recycling.
While Gain City did not disclose exact figures, the company receives thousands of used air-con units from households and businesses every year. Before launching its mega showroom in 2015, Gain City already had a small-scale recycling setup. But after the EPR scheme was introduced in 2021, they expanded the facility and tripled the number of staff.
Candy Cao, Gain City’s marketing director, said that up to 90 per cent of each unit can be recycled, and safely handling the refrigerant is a major part of the process. Recovered metals like gold, brass, copper and aluminium are reused in refurbished air-con units or sent to external recycling partners.
When used air-con units arrive, technicians first assess whether they can be repaired and resold. Usable parts are kept for future servicing needs.
The refrigerant gas is carefully removed and stored in special cylinders before being sent to a local purification plant. Once purified, it is exported to countries like India and Indonesia for reuse in brand-new air-con units. After the gas is removed, the rest of the machine is dismantled. Even the small circuit boards are taken apart by hand and sent to specialised waste treatment centres.
However, not everything can be recycled yet. Items like fan blades, cooler blades, styrofoam and insulation pipes are still non-recyclable. These are sent to waste treatment plants to be melted down.
There is ongoing research to change that. Ms Cao shared that Gain City is working with Singapore Polytechnic students to explore ways to repurpose these materials. For example, breaking them into smaller particles to use for road paving or water filters. She added,
“We are also in talks with Mushroom World Academy, a non-profit organisation, to utilise cardboard boxes to grow mushrooms.”
The recycling process has also become more convenient for customers. If you buy a new air-con unit from Gain City, you can trade in your old unit for recycling. Depending on its condition, you may even receive a rebate. If you want to recycle without buying a new unit, a small fee may apply depending on pickup location, number of units, or the work needed to dismantle commercial systems.
For businesses, this process has been a game-changer. Mr Chia Ket Fhung, who runs Ultimate Airconditioning Services, used to transport dismantled units to scrap metal collectors on his own. Now, he says,
“We now have a one-stop solution – purchasing new units from Gain City and installing them, then dropping off the dismantled units for recycling at the same location.”
This integrated model has made it much easier for both service providers and customers to dispose of old air-con units the right way.
