The aerosol can recycle system is a time and money saving device that saves organizations thousands of dollars a year and prevents very dangerous pollutants from escaping into the atmosphere.  

Because aerosol can contents are so hazardous to the environment, EPA regulations do not allow organizations to throw away aerosol cans in the trash.  They do not allow them to recycle them either with other scrap metals without taking certain very costly steps in advance. 

Shops must first relieve the cans of pressure and then pack them in a drum.  A manifest must also be published that lists them as waste disposal.   While this offers the environment a marginal degree of protection in landfills, it is only marginal.  Furthermore the cost of solid waste disposal is very high for small and mid-sized companies who really should be spending their money on making money instead of complicated ways of throwing cans away.    

Both environmental concerns and high disposal costs can be addressed and reconciled with an aerosol can disposal system.  This remarkable device turns cans into recyclable scrap metal, and in some cases, also makes it possible for liquids to also be reused. 

The aerosol can recycle/disposal system will pay for itself many times over with a full drum of aerosol liquid waste.  To transport the same 4,000 spray cans as solid waste, you would need forty 55-gallon drums.  The disposal costs for getting rid of them would be more than $12,000. 

The design of the aerosol can disposal unit is pragmatic, safe, and features simplicity of usage.  Little, if any training, is required for operation.  The engineering of the device features a puncturing tool, safety goggles, carbon filter, and Anti-Static wire to keep the drum safe from static buildup. 

The aerosol can recycle system with the 2 inch diameter threaded bung of any 30 or 55 gallon drum.  Once the can is mounted in position, the operator pushes a lever and punctures the container.  The can’s contents are then pressed through a two-piece filter with a bu ilt-in carbon cartridge. 

This filter is the most innovative feature of the system.  It first collects microscopic liquids from the propellant and forces them to form droplets.  These collect into the filter’s reservoir.  Dry propellant is absorbed by a carbon cartridge made from ground coconut.  It absorbs odors and hydrocarbons.  A drain valve at the bottom of the filter releases liquid into the drum at will. 

The cans can now be recycled as any other steel or aluminum scrap.  In certain cases as well, liquid waste can be recycled or sent to a waste reclamation center.  This depends on the contents of the aerosol cans that have been drained, of course, but it has been known to earn many companies waste reclamation credits and improve their environmental reputation.

The most important thing to realize in any event is that only one 55 gallon drum is required to safely drain the content of 4,000 cans. 

In some instances too, the aerosol can disposal/recycle system has been used for in-house recycling.  In auto shops, for example, solvents and paints are used daily in auto engine and auto body repair work.  Setting up the recycle system on multiple drums will allow shops to take used cans and reclaim gallons of solvents and paints for reuse.