Clean Earth’s WV facility to recycle aerosol cans under Universal Waste Rule
Clean Earth’s Morgantown, West Virginia facility can now process and recycle aerosol cans under the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Aerosol Cans as Universal Waste Rule that has now come into effect in the state.
The Aerosol Cans as Universal Waste Rule allows aerosol can waste to be managed as universal waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste rules (40 CFR 273) instead of classifying them as hazardous waste.
Some of the objectives of this rule are to promote aerosol can recycling, reducing the number being sent to landfill, as well as to ease regulatory burdens on retail stores and others discarding aerosol cans.
The EPA finalised this new rule on 15 November 2019 and published it in the Federal Register on 9 December 2019. The rule became effective on 7 February last year in non-authorised states but had to be adopted in authorised states such as West Virginia.
Clean Earth’s hazardous waste facility in Morgantown is a Part B permitted treatment, storage and disposal facility capable to receiving a large variety of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in drums, totes, and bulk. The treatment, disposal, and recycling process combines leading-edge concepts with proven technology to provide reuse and recycling options without higher costs.
“We processed more than 11 million aerosol cans last year and one of our biggest keys to success was our Morgantown facility, which processes aerosol cans received from coast to coast,” said David Stanton, president of Clean Earth.
“We have the ability to properly manage, process and recycle the aerosols we acquire in a safe, environmentally-compliant and efficient manner.
“Because universal waste regulations are less burdensome on customers, we anticipate that the rule will lead to an increase in the amount of aerosol cans collected and available for us to manage through our facilities.
“Generators are now incentivised to manage aerosols sustainably as universal waste to avoid more complicated hazardous waste regulations and enforcement.”
The Aerosol Cans as Universal Waste Rule allows aerosol can waste to be managed as universal waste under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste rules (40 CFR 273) instead of classifying them as hazardous waste.
Some of the objectives of this rule are to promote aerosol can recycling, reducing the number being sent to landfill, as well as to ease regulatory burdens on retail stores and others discarding aerosol cans.
The EPA finalised this new rule on 15 November 2019 and published it in the Federal Register on 9 December 2019. The rule became effective on 7 February last year in non-authorised states but had to be adopted in authorised states such as West Virginia.
Clean Earth’s hazardous waste facility in Morgantown is a Part B permitted treatment, storage and disposal facility capable to receiving a large variety of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in drums, totes, and bulk. The treatment, disposal, and recycling process combines leading-edge concepts with proven technology to provide reuse and recycling options without higher costs.
“We processed more than 11 million aerosol cans last year and one of our biggest keys to success was our Morgantown facility, which processes aerosol cans received from coast to coast,” said David Stanton, president of Clean Earth.
“We have the ability to properly manage, process and recycle the aerosols we acquire in a safe, environmentally-compliant and efficient manner.
“Because universal waste regulations are less burdensome on customers, we anticipate that the rule will lead to an increase in the amount of aerosol cans collected and available for us to manage through our facilities.
“Generators are now incentivised to manage aerosols sustainably as universal waste to avoid more complicated hazardous waste regulations and enforcement.”
