One of the most common kitchen appliances is becoming more affordable for those who are green conscious, especially in the area of energy savings, and will soon be available in the United States with models that cut down on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) or hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerant emissions.

Known more commonly as Freon, the CFC emissions were common in refrigerators that Americans purchased prior to 1966 and considered a threat to the ozone layer. More recently, refrigerators have used the HFC refrigerant that has been tied to global warming. Since the 1990s, environmentalists have been pushing to stop emissions of CFCs or HFCs into the atmosphere by encouraging the use of a hydrocarbon refrigerant, which is a more natural combination of hydrogens and carbons that do not degrade the ozone and are easily broken down by the sun.

Refrigerator manufacturers have responded in recent years by making it more affordable to purchase a “green” refrigerator, one using high-efficiency motors and vacuum insulated panels that consume less power. Within the next year, the use of hydrocarbons will become more commonplace as well. Germany is credited by environmentalists with starting this trend toward hydrocarbon refrigerants in 1993, which was about the same time that the U.S. began embracing HFCs as a replacement for CFCs.

Although refrigerators account for far less global consumption of HFCs than air-conditioners in automobiles, it is believed that an HFC refrigerator’s impact on the climate is nearly 4,000 times more potent over a 20-year period than the far more common greenhouse gas of carbon dioxide.

Since the first Greenfreeze refrigerator was sold in Germany early in 1993, it is estimated that more than 400 million hydrocarbon household units have been sold by major manufacturers such as Whirlpool, Haier and Sanyo.

While Americans wait for that option, they can still obtain energy-efficient models and do their own maintenance to keep the appliance from draining unnecessary power. Vacuuming the refrigerator coils at least once a year helps maintain energy-efficient operation. The seal around the refrigerator door can be checked by closing the door on a dollar bill. Replace the gasket if the bill falls out or can be easily removed without opening the door. Keep door gaskets clean of mold and mildew with mild detergent and water, not bleach, say the experts.