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| Overview: | Aerosol can puncturing, crushing, and recycling is a way to avoid disposing of aerosol cans as solid or hazardous waste. Aerosol can puncture devices rupture and empty the cans to make them classifiable as "empty," as per U.S. EPA requirements. The processed cans are then no longer considered to be a hazardous waste and can be sold as scrap metal.
Aerosol can puncturing devices safely puncture the cans, capturing their contents for easy recycling or disposal. Spray nozzles are removed as well. A simple, low-capacity can operator puncturing unit does not require power and is manually operated. With the can secured inside a cylinder, the operator presses a handle, which causes a puncture pin to pierce the aerosol can. The can’s contents are then collected in a drum. More sophisticated units have a pre-loader that moves aerosol cans into a 12-inch sealed cylinder. This cylinder is ruptured and crushed into a 1/2 inch thick wafer by a piston. The propellant and concentrate then pass through a check valve in the piston and are collected in a pressure tank. A scavenger system accepts the small amount of propellant remaining to reduce internal pressure to atmospheric before the cylinder is opened. The cans are discharged onto a well ventilated, drying conveyor where they remain for 10 to 15 minutes, before being collected in a container. Sophisticated aerosol can puncturing devices can process more than 99% of aerosol cans for either safe disposal or recycling. Capacities range from 120 to 2,000 cans per hour. Available features of the more sophisticated units include explosion proofing, and electric, hot oil, and steam heaters to vaporize residual propellant. Empty steel paint and aerosol cans are accepted by the steel industry for recycling. Aerosol cans must be completely empty, with the plastic lid removed (spray nozzles do not need to be removed for recycling). Residues remaining in aerosol cans are subject to federal (40 CFR Sec. 261.7) and state regulations. Can-puncturing processes may need to be licensed by state agencies or U.S. EPA. Puncturing cans may involve local air quality regulations; therefore consultation with city and county air quality agencies is advised. In most states, volatile organic compound (VOC) venting is regulated. Typically, aerosols use VOC propellants and hence the puncturing operation could result in release of these compounds to the environment. One example of a frequently used propellant is butane. To address this problem, some puncturing systems provide an activated carbon adsorption canister to capture any VOCs (not CFCs) released from the punctured can. However, the carbon has to be replaced and disposed of periodically.
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| Compliance Benefit: | Aerosol can puncturing, crushing, and recycling can reduce the amount of hazardous and non-hazardous waste at a facility. The decrease in hazardous waste helps facilities meet the requirements of waste reduction under RCRA, 40 CFR 262, Appendix, and may also help facilities reduce their generator status and lessen the amount of regulations (e.g. recordkeeping, reporting, inspections, transportation, accumulation time, emergency prevention and preparedness, emergency response) they are required to comply with under RCRA, 40 CFR 262. Recycling the empty metal cans will help facilities decrease the amount of solid waste going to landfills and therefore, meets the requirements under Executive Order 13101 requiring executive agencies (e.g. DOD) to incorporate waste prevention and recycling in their daily operations. Increase VOC emissions from aerosol can puncturing may contribute to a facility’s need for an air permit. In addition, the possibility exists that aerosol can crushing is considered treatment of a hazardous waste.
The compliance benefits listed here are only meant to be used as a general guideline and are not meant to be strictly interpreted. Actual compliance benefits will vary depending on the factors involved, e.g. the amount of workload involved.
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| Materials Compatibility: | The residual contents of all aerosol cans being crushed must be compatible. Mixing aerosol can contents that are incompatible is not allowed. It is important to check material compatibly when disposing of many cans at once, especially when disposing of a group of cans that contain different products. The containers (55-gallon steel drum or other container) in which the residues are discharged should be designated and labeled for specific materials (e.g., paints, lubricants, etc.). Check with product manufacturers for compatibility within the same class of material, e.g., are two different types of paints compatible with each other in a disposal drum? The practice of designating drums for specific classes of materials also simplifies waste management and disposal.
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| Safety and Health: | Proper design, operation, and maintenance of the equipment is required for its safe use. There are minimal health concerns regarding this process, but care must be taken when pre-loading these cans for manual processing. Precautions must be taken and proper personal protective equipment is recommended. Consult your local industrial health specialist, your local health and safety personnel, and the appropriate MSDS prior to implementing this technology.
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| Economic Analysis: | The cost elements of crushing and recycling aerosol cans are compared to landfill disposal. According to the Pollution Prevention Equipment Program, the cost of an aerosol can puncturer is approximately $800. Waste Control Systems Inc. sells the Aerosolv Model 5100.
Assumptions:
Annual Operating Cost Comparison for Diversion and Disposal of Aerosol Cans
Economic Analysis Summary
Capital Cost for Diversion Equipment/Process: $775 Payback Period for Investment in Equipment/Process: < 2 years Note: The economic analysis assumes that 10% of the unpunctured aerosol cans are considered hazardous wastes. However, in the event that a higher percentage of the cans are considered as hazardous wastes, this process will incur additional costs. Click Here to view an Active Spreadsheet for this Economic Analysis and Enter Your Own Values.
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| Approving Authority: | Approval is controlled locally and should be implemented only after engineering approval has been granted. Major claimant approval is not required.
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NSN/MSDS:
Product
NSN
Unit Size
Cost
MSDS*
Aerosol Can Recycling System
4250-01-393-7158
ea.
$592.90
*There are multiple MSDSs for most NSNs.
The MSDS (if shown above) is only meant to serve as an example.
Mr. Michael Viggiano Mr. Ivan Cekov
Points of Contact:
Navy:
Mr. Pano Kordonis
FASTT Team Member
Phone: (843) 820-5565
Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center
1100 23rd Avenue
Code 423
Port Hueneme, CA 93043-4370
Phone: (805) 982-4895
DSN: 551-4895
Email: viggianoml@nfesc.navy.mil
Naval Construction Battalion Center
1000 23rd Avenue
Port Hueneme, CA 93043-4370
Phone: (805) 982-3136
DSN: 551-3136
Vendors:
Abar EnviroSystems
21000 Aurora Road
Cleveland, OH 44146-1010
Phone: (216) 587-0001
FAX: (216) 587-0000
Beacon Engineering Company
P.O. Box 129
Jasper, GA 30143
Phone: (706) 692-6411
FAX: (706) 692-3227
Katec
P.O. Box 3399
1728 Virginia Beach Blvd., #105
Virginia Beach, VA 23454
Phone: (757) 428-8822
FAX: (757) 428-5757
C.S. Bell
170 W. Davis St.
P.O. Box 291
Tiffin, OH 44883
Phone: (419) 448-0791
FAX: (419) 448-1203
Service: Sources of can crushing systems
Drew-It Corporation
P.O. Box 10111
Greenville, SC 29603
Phone: (864) 292-6376
FAX: (864) 834-0756
Email: morrisdrew@juno.com
Service: Sources of can crushing systems
Macon Iron and Metal
P.O. Box 506
Macon, GA 31202
Phone: (912) 743-6773
FAX: (912) 743-9965
Service: Can recyclers
Sources:
Mr. Michael Viggiano, Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, February 1999.
U.S. EPA, Characterization of Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 1994 Update.
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