RECYCLING What We Will Cover: I. Aerosol Can Recycling from an MSW perspective II. Easing Regulation of Non-Empty Aerosol Waste III. “ So you recycle it… Could you be more specific? ”
From USEPA’s Annual (2018) MSW Fact Sheet
Who doesn’t Recycling? But …. Recycling has become messier in recent years. • Demand for collected “recyclables” has dipped. • Consumers, if engaged, are easily confused. • Markets are stressed, creating unhealthy systems.
WASHINGTON, D.C., July 27, 2016 – A comprehensive new study commissioned by a broad industry coalition shows that about 70 percent of Americans have the opportunity to recycle empty aerosol containers at the curb or at nearby recycling facilities. The Consumer Specialty Products Association (CSPA), The Aluminum Association (TAA), the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI), and the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI)… The study was organized by the Sustainable Packaging Coalition (SPC), a project of GreenBlue, and conducted by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS) and Moore Recycling Associates. https://www.steelsustainability.org/article/aerosol-containers-are-accepted-in-most-recycling- programs?siteLocation=48774ce4-0c35-4364-9d63-407adb786392
FROM EPA’S ANNUAL (2018) MSW FACT SHEET An Aerosol Industry’s Value Proposition to US communities: A. Recycling rates for Steel Cans and Aluminum Cans are already high, compared to other recyclables. B. To consumers, Aerosol Cans are similar! C. Adding Empty Aerosol Cans will boost financial health of an ailing recycling industry.
Could we actually “move the needle?” Denver, CO 2017 Recycling Pilot: The Recycling Partnership conducted a 3- month pilot to find the best way to increase residential recycling. • Education - 4000 household focus on aluminum and steel cans. • Trash carts were tagged, instructing residents to put cans in their recycling carts. • Residents also received the message through mailers, signs and social media. • Result: 25% increase in can recycling. • If expanded to the whole city, expect + 225 metric tons of aluminum & steel cans recovered, saving ~ 1,200 metric tons of GHG emissions, improving financial viability of the system. • Follow-up – Results suggest an expanded city-wide roll-out (172,000 households), to include capture rate studies to quantify the impacts.
MRF REVENUE SNAPSHOT EDUCATION: Increased Metal Volume can have disproportional impact on MRF revenue • Boosting Steel Can tonnage is GOOD • Boosting Aluminum Can tonnage is GREAT. (Most valuable commodity.)
PROBABLE REASONS: 1) Did not know aerosols are recyclable. 2) Volume too insignificant to consider. 3) Scrap metal outlets do not accept aerosols. 4) Do not want to risk receiving non-empty aerosols SOLUTION: INCREASED EDUCATION OF - Residents, Businesses, MRF Managers, Metal Recyclers
Aerosol cans with liquids, propellants or pressure still in the can are prohibited.
RECYCLING What We Will Cover: I. Aerosol Can Recycling from an MSW perspective II. Easing Regulation of Non-Empty Aerosol Waste III. “ So you recycle it… Could you be more specific? ”
HOW DID WE GET AEROSOL WASTE REGULATORY RELIEF?
IS THERE A BETTER WAY? EPA listened - Proposed less burdensome regulation
RECYCLING What We Will Cover: I. Aerosol Can Recycling from an MSW perspective II. Easing Regulation of Non-Empty Aerosol Waste – Our world III. “ So you recycle it… Could you be more specific? ”
Circular Recycling or Downcycling? Moving the Recycling Goalposts Recycling 2.0 aspires beyond downcycling. Consider … • Are all materials used in a product recyclable or only some? • Is a material actually recycled or only collected for recycling then sent to landfill? • Can the material be recycled infinitely or is it only recyclable once or twice before it becomes waste? • Is all of the input material available as recycled output or is a significant portion of the material lost during recycling? • Is a product recycled into something of similar value or is it downcycled into a product of less value that might not be recycled again? Metal aerosol containers can be endlessly recycled. - RA’s practices aspire along with consumers and other stakeholders to go beyond downcycling:
The Aerosol Concept Metal aerosols Many aerosol can be products include a propellant gas as an essential ingredient. endlessly We developed an automated recycled. - system that safely reverses the can manufacturing, A long with extracting and separating the consumers and propellant from the product. other stakeholders, The propellant which could RA’s practices have ended up as a The original liquid hazardous waste gets products are collected for go beyond another useful life as either reuse or recycle. downcycling: Green Energy or other uses.
Recovered, Segregated Gases & Concentrates Safely Stored for Recycling through Other End Uses
Recycling of Empty Containers Raw Materials Separation Aerosol products and identities destroyed – Proprietary system extracts ferrous, non-ferrous, and plastics for sale to end use markets. Next Generation Recycling - * Join us in placing AEROSOLS in the CIRCULAR ECONOMY
THANK YOU Gary Okey, CHMM Vice President Business Development RECYCLE AEROSOL LLC 69 Evans Drive Bells, TN 38006 731.617.2183 (Cell) 731.663.3900 (Office) gary.okey@rds-llc.com www.RecycleAerosol.com
Recommend
More recommend
