It is no longer a secret anymore that the ozone layer has significant role for protecting lives in the earth from ultraviolet radiation. And it is no longer a new thing that, many ozone destructed materials are used in many human activities. Some protocols have been issued to persuade and to ensure many countries for stopping the production, the trading and the usage of those materials. Montreal Protocols the boldest for fighting against the thing. But, there are a lot of activities involved those materials which run legally or illegally in many countries.

It is known from Indonesia Environment Ministry website that in the first quarter of 2014, Indonesia government has issued the regulation to forbid the import of Hydrochlorofluorocarbon (HCFCs).  Before that, the Government has accomplished to remove the usage of ozone destructed materials such us chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs), Halon,Carbontetrachloride, Methyl chloroform, and Methyl bromide². These materials are mainly proposed to cooler devices. With this new regulation, HCFC has already been illegal to use for air conditioner, freezer and foam. It is good news because the state will move forward to eco-friendly material for industry.

HCFCs is the substitute material for CFCs. The CFCs have been widely used as refrigerants, propellants (in aerosol applications), and solvents. Because CFCs contribute to ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere³.When Montreal Protocolwas forged in 1987, people sought and developed the alternatives, one of them is HCFCs.

The first welcome to HCFCsin Indonesia was July 2008, when CFCswas banned and solely allowed for refrigerator and car air conditioner meanwhile big industries such as cement manufacture should stopped the usage of CFCs¹. HCFCs was chosen because hydrogen component inside makes HCFCs less stable rather than CFCs. Then, it is expected that HCFCswill be decomposed below ozone layer. Unfortunately, HCFCs does not have zero point in Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)or the index to measure the probability of material to damage ozone layer and a significant fraction of the HCFCs do break down in the stratosphere and they have contributed to more chlorine buildup there than originally predicted¹. So, HCFCsis not 100 percent ozone – friendly material.

Indonesia Environment Ministry has done socialization to society about the abolishment of HCFCs usage at 31 October 2014 in Jakarta as the target for being free of HCFCs is 1 January 2015. The objects of the socialization are involved parties in HCFCs import, trading and usage.Before January 2015,They still have sometimes to change their business process. There is a big possibility that the industry will substitute HCFCs with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) which have zero ODPsince a refrigerator manufacture has issued the plan to launch free HCFCs product in some news websites.

I really support for what the government has already done but I feel it is not maximal as the government solely pays attention to macro things like industry. The usage of air conditioner has increased significantly along with the rise of society buying power. Nowadays, many new built houses, buildings and apartments adopt minimize architecture concept which means the number of ventilation decrease, then it completely relies on air conditioner for air circulation inside the rooms. This concept also means the number of electric consumption increase because the room lightning almost relied on lamps whole days. I believe this domestic side contributes more than industries, because they trigger industry to produce those kinds of products.

I am quite grateful that my house does not use air conditioner (my family cannot stand chilly temperature XD), but some appliances perhaps still use ozone destructed materials. As young generation, we have to spread the knowledge to our surrounding. Paying attention before choosing some products and appliances is one of the ways to contribute.  I wish you find about ozone destructed materials more in other sources.

Thank you.

1. Antaranews, 2007. Antaranews. [Online]
Available at: m.antaranews.com/berita/83225/indonesia-larang-penggunaan-cfc-untuk-manufaktur-juli-2008
[Accessed 26 November 2014].

2. Hidup, K. L., 2014. Kementrian Lingkungan Hidup Republik Indonesia. [Online]
Available at: http://www.menlh.go.id/regulasi-program-penghapusan-bahan-perusak-ozon-hcfc-di-indonesia/
[Accessed 26 November 2014].

3. Wikipedia, 2014. Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia. [Online]
Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorofluorocarbon
[Accessed 26 Novemver 2014].

Picture sources :
http://www.menlh.go.id/regulasi-program-penghapusan-bahan-perusak-ozon-hcfc-di-indonesia/