In the basement of a housing complex in Jakarta, Indonesian technician Ari Sobaruddin and his team at the climate startup Recoolit work long hours capturing air-conditioning refrigerants that are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the planet.
Refrigerants such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), commonly used in air conditioners, fridges, and cars, contribute significantly to climate change. Though earlier harmful chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were phased out globally starting in 1989 to protect the ozone layer, their replacements, HFCs, still trap heat in the atmosphere and are a growing problem—especially in developing countries like Indonesia, where demand for cooling is rising due to increasing temperatures and a growing middle class.
Recoolit began operations in Indonesia in 2021 to tackle this “super-pollutant.” The startup trains and equips technicians to safely capture refrigerants during air-conditioner maintenance or disposal, preventing these gases from leaking into the atmosphere. The captured refrigerants are then destroyed in government-approved facilities such as cement kilns or incinerators.
Technicians receive about 50,000 rupiah (roughly $3) per kilogram of refrigerant captured, providing financial incentives for proper handling. While refrigerants can be recycled or reused, Recoolit stresses that repeated reuse risks further leaks and prefers destruction to permanently eliminate the gases.
The company generates income by selling carbon credits linked to the amount of refrigerant destroyed. These credits, priced at about $75 each, are sold directly to buyers using a verification system developed by the Carbon Containment Lab from Yale University. Samples of canisters are analyzed in a certified Malaysian lab to confirm refrigerant content before destruction.
While some criticize carbon credits for allowing polluters to offset emissions financially without reducing their own, Recoolit argues its credits are genuine because they represent real, measurable destruction of harmful gases.
The startup has attracted attention from major companies, including Google, which recently partnered with Recoolit to scale up efforts and expand internationally.
Experts say refrigerant capture is a critical but often overlooked climate solution. Associate professor Robyn Schofield from the University of Melbourne called it “a very good climate action” that needs to be expanded.
Though government enforcement against illegal refrigerant release is limited, startups like Recoolit are filling an important gap, helping reduce a powerful source of greenhouse gases and contributing to global climate goals.
