Ben & Jerry's is testing a new kind of freezer based on hydrocarbons. Rather than using hydrofluorocarbons, known to produce far more potent emissions than carbon dioxide, the new freezers run on propane. Hydrocarbon-based freezers are relatively common outside the U.S, where they are currently outlawed. Ben & Jerry's received federal permission to test the system.

“This is an important step for our business which we hope will clearly demonstrate that a more environmentally friendly refrigeration technology can work in the U.S. market,” said Walt Freese, Ben & Jerry’s CEO. “The technology is commonplace in Europe with literally millions of home and commercial units in place.”

The ice cream company teamed with Greenpeace, a major proponent of the freezers. Greenpeace developed GreenFreeze technology, which uses hydrocarbons specifically because they have no impact on the ozone layer and contribute little to global warming. They're also more energy efficient. Greenpeace says that there are now more than 300 million GreenFreeze refrigerators in use worldwide.

About 50 of the freezers will be set up in Maryland, Virginia, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Ben & Jerry's will roll out up to 2,000 freezers in coming years if the program is successful. The EPA will also examine the company's results when considering the future status of hydrocarbon-based freezers.

Image — Ben & Jerry's