Once again, Ben & Jerry’s is out to start a revolution! This time, it’s a technological revolution — by introducing a new kind of clean, green freezer to the United States. What’s the big deal? These new freezers use alternative refrigerants that, unlike current freezer gases, do not contribute to global warming nor the deterioration of the earth’s ozone layer if released to the atmosphere. That’s two big leaps forward on the path to more environmentally friendly refrigeration!

Starting in the fall of 2008, we’ll be running trials of these hydrocarbon (HC) freezers in the Boston and DC areas while we seek approval for widespread commercial use from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). If — and when — we gain EPA approval, we’ll share the technology far and wide, with the long-term goal to make HC freezers the standard in the United States.

So what’s the need for new freezing technology? Most small freezers in the United States today use hydrofluorocarbon gases (HFCs) to generate cooling. HFCs work well in freezers, but they have a significant downside. With help from our friends at Greenpeace, we have learned that HFCs are among a group of refrigerants, known as “F-gases”, that are highly potent greenhouse gases.

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We believe HC freezers can be a big part of the solution. The HC gases we’re using in our Cleaner, Greener Freezers — purified propane — are just as effective at cooling a freezer as HFCs and are 10% more energy efficient. But HC’s contribute almost nothing to global warming, and have zero impact on ozone depletion. Now, that’s progress!

Hydrocarbon (HC) refrigerants are already in use around the globe. Household freezers and small commercial freezers outside the US have successfully used these hydrocarbon-based refrigerants for the last few years. So why has the US not adopted this technology? First, the three butane-lighters-worth of gas that is contained in the freezers is flammable. So, before we place any HC cabinets for commercial use, first we made sure the cabinets were tested and approved by Underwriters Laboratories to ensure they could be operated safely. Second, the EPA requires that any new alternative gases go through a rigorous evaluation process known as SNAP (Significant New Alternatives Policy). This program is designed to evaluate and regulate substances for ozone-depleting chemicals being phased out under the Clean Air Act.

Where does this leave Ben & Jerry’s? Fortunately we are able to conduct a trial of HC freezers in the US while we go through the lengthy SNAP process. In August 2008 the cabinets to be used in our trial received the first ever UL safety approval of an HC cabinet design. And in September of 2008, we submitted our formal SNAP petition to the EPA for consideration.

We are excited to be the first company to test this environmentally friendly refrigerant in the United States — and to start the freezer revolution!