What are ozone depleting substances?

Ozone depleting substances (ODSs) are those substances which deplete the ozone layer and are widely used in refrigerators, airconditioners, fire extinguishers, in dry cleaning, as solvents for cleaning, electronic equipment and as agricultural fumigants.
Ozone depleting substances controlled by Montreal Protocol include:

• Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
• Halon

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄), Methyl chloroform (CH₃CCl₃)

Hydrobromofluorocarbons (HBFCs)

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs)

Methyl bromide (CH₃Br)

Bromochloromethane (CH₂BrCl)

There are other ozone depleting substances, but their ozone depleting effects are very small in comparison to these controlled substances.
The Commonwealth Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989

controls the manufacture, import and export of these ozone depleting substances in Australia.
All bulk imports of these substances (except HCFCs and methyl bromide) are banned into Australia. See Legislation and Regulations: Ozone and Synthetic Greenhouse Gases.

Alternatives to ODS

Methyl bromide alternatives

The methyl bromide Alternatives Information System (MBAIS) can help you to identify alternatives to methyl bromide use as a general purpose fumigant. It contains information on methyl bromide alternatives for quarantine and pre-shipment and non-quarantine uses being researched or used in Australia, and/or used internationally.

Methyl bromide Alternatives Information System (MBAIS) 

- DAFF database ICON is AQIS's import conditions database. It contains the Australian import conditions for more than 20,000 plant, animal, microbial, mineral and human products.

ICON Database - search facility to identify methyl bromide alternatives