Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Taxes at Distributor Inc.

This case study describes the business model of Distributor Inc., a major independent chemical distributor in the United States, and provides context on the environmental impact of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), specifically freon, which the company distributed.

• Distributor Inc. operated as one of the largest independent chemical distributors in the United States, acting as an intermediary that purchased chemicals in bulk from manufacturers, repackaged them into smaller quantities, and sold them to small- and medium-sized businesses without manufacturing any chemicals itself.
• Distributor Inc. sold freon, a type of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). Scientific evidence from the mid-1980s linked increased atmospheric CFC levels to the depletion of stratospheric ozone, which increases the amount of ultraviolet light reaching the earth, potentially causing skin cancer, cataracts in humans, and other health issues in plants and animals.

APA

Stinson, C. H., & Soderstrom, N. (1997). Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Taxes at Distributor Inc. World Resources Institute. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-235-3_abstract_version_english.pdf

Chicago

Stinson, Christopher H., and Naomi Soderstrom. Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Taxes at Distributor Inc. World Resources Institute, 1997. https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-235-3_abstract_version_english.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Stinson |first1=Christopher H. |last2=Soderstrom |first2=Naomi |title=Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Taxes at Distributor Inc. |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=1997 |url=https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-235-3_abstract_version_english.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stinson1997chlorofluorocarbon, author = {Stinson, Christopher H. and Soderstrom, Naomi}, title = {{Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) Taxes at Distributor Inc.}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {1997}, url = {https://pdf.wri.org/bell/abstracts/case_1-56973-235-3_abstract_version_english.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }