The Circular Economy in Practice: 30 Years of the PROZON Foundation’s Experience in the Polish Chemical Market

Climate change

Martyna Jankiewicz – Project Manager, PROZON Climate Protection Foundation
Dorota Grzegorczyk – Communications Consultant, PROZON Climate Protection Foundation

The transformation toward a circular economy is ceasing to be a choice — it is becoming a necessity for industry, including the chemical sector. The key question today is not “whether,” but “how” to effectively implement circular solutions at an operational scale. Answers are provided by the PROZON Climate Protection Foundation, which for 30 years has been developing systems for the recovery and reuse of refrigerants — in practice realizing the principles of the circular economy long before they were formally embedded in EU policies.

The 30th-anniversary jubilee of the foundation’s activity coincides with the launch of one of its most important technological achievements — the 4R Reclamation Centre. This is an installation that not only closes the loop for fluorinated refrigerant gases, but sets a new standard of management in the circular model.

From waste to a full-value raw material

The refrigeration and air-conditioning industry is a significant recipient of chemical-industry products and, at the same time, a source of environmental challenges. The refrigerants used, especially those from the HFC group, are characterized by a high global-warming potential, which means that even small emissions have a real impact on the climate.

The model developed by the PROZON Foundation is based on a paradigm shift: a used refrigerant ceases to be waste and becomes a resource — a raw material which, after appropriate processing, can be reused. This approach aligns with the fundamental principles of the circular economy, where the key is to maximize the lifespan of materials and limit the use of primary raw materials.

The 4R Centre — technology that closes the loop

The newly opened 4R Reclamation Centre represents a breakthrough in the field of refrigerant processing. The installation enables not only their purification, but also the advanced separation of gas mixtures. This solution eliminates one of the main technological barriers that has until now limited the possibility of fully utilizing waste.

In practice, this means that mixtures of refrigerant gases — previously often sent for disposal — can be separated into their original components, purified, and reintroduced into circulation. The substances obtained meet the quality requirements that allow their further use in refrigeration installations.

The effect is a real reduction in waste, a decrease in greenhouse-gas emissions, and a reduction in the demand for the production of new chemical substances. In this way, the 4R Centre aligns with one of the key directions in the development of modern chemistry — the transition from a linear model to a closed loop, based on the efficient management of resources.

Electronic waste in a new loop

This approach by the PROZON Foundation is not limited solely to chemicals. The RE-ELECTRO project, developed in parallel, extends the idea of the circular economy across the entire life cycle of refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment.

In this model, used devices are treated as a source of valuable components and raw materials. Functioning elements, after undergoing a diagnostic process, can be reused as spare parts, which makes it possible to extend the life of other devices. At the same time, refrigerants and subassemblies are recovered and sent for further processing.

This approach significantly reduces the amount of waste and decreases the demand for the production of new equipment and substances. Importantly, it creates a coherent circular model covering both the chemical and the product level.

Significance for the Polish chemical industry

The solutions developed by the PROZON Foundation are of significant importance for the domestic chemical industry. Under conditions of growing regulatory requirements and pressure to reduce the environmental footprint, the recovery and reuse of substances are becoming an important complement to traditional production.

The 4R Centre and the development of projects such as RE-ELECTRO create an alternative source of raw materials and materials that can supply the market without the need to produce them from scratch. This contributes to increasing raw-material security, stabilizing supply, and reducing environmental and energy costs.

At the same time, the development of installations of this kind fosters the building of technological competencies and strengthens Poland’s position as a country implementing modern solutions in the area of chemistry and resource management.

The circular economy as an operational standard

The PROZON Foundation’s experience shows that the circular economy can function as a real, effective business model. The integration of recovery, reclamation, and reuse — at both the substance and the product level — makes it possible to create systems in which waste is minimized and the value of resources is used to the maximum.

The 4R Reclamation Centre, supported by the development of initiatives such as RE-ELECTRO, is an example of a solution ready to be scaled and adapted in other segments of industry.

30 years of experience — a direction for the future

Three decades of PROZON’s activity are an example of the consistent building of practical solutions in the area of climate protection and efficient resource management. Today’s results — in the form of modern installations and developed operational models — show that the transformation toward a circular economy is not only possible, but also profitable and scalable.

For the Polish chemical industry, this is a clear signal: the circular economy is no longer a concept of the future, but a direction that is already shaping the competitiveness and resilience of the entire industry today.

Source: Martyna Jankiewicz, Dorota Grzegorczyk (PROZON Climate Protection Foundation), “Magazyn Polska Chemia” 2/2026, published by the Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry. pipc.org.pl