Written on: December 20, 2013 by SprayTM
Grundon Waste Management of the U.K. has invested in a closed-loop aerosol recycling system. Grundon says the facility, which utilizes the Hazpak 6000, is capable of processing around 9,000 aerosols an hour.
The Thames Valley-based waste and recycling company says the new equipment will be installed at its Hazardous Waste Transfer Station at Ewelme in Oxfordshire.
“The Hazpak has huge potential to transform the way the public, commerce and industry handles the disposal of aerosol cans,” says Jonathan Harris, technical general manager of Grundon Waste. “Today’s focus has to be on moving materials up the waste hierarchy, away from disposal towards more recycling. This equipment has the power to make that goal one step closer.”
Harris also says he believes the unit’s capacity will drive more sophisticated return and recycling schemes by major manufacturers, retailers and local authorities.
“At the same time, we will be able to offer manufacturers and industrial customers a much more cost effective, safer and more environmentally-friendly approach for aerosol disposal,” Harris says.
The new Hazpak 6000, one of only two such plants in the U.K. for the disposal of waste aerosols, was developed and manufactured in Canada by the Eko Environmental division of Maclean Engineering.
Eko Environmental says the Grundon team, which already has a smaller Hazpak unit in place at Ewelme, was involved in the design project, ensuring the system meets UK and European legislation and regulations.
Expected to be fully operational by the end of April, the closed-loop system operated by the Hazpak 6000 is designed so that every component is recycled or reprocessed in a safe, oxygen-free environment, with zero emissions released into the atmosphere.
The metal from the cans will be sent for recycling, while liquids (such as hairspray, paint or deodorant) will be separated for recovery or recycling, and the propellants (such as butane or LPG) are collected and used by Grundon to fuel in-house operations and/or generate electricity, the company reports.
The company says the new operation will be able to handle approximately 72,000 aerosols a day on an average eight-hour shift.
In addition to handling aerosols, the Hazpak 6000 will be capable of processing paint tins, oil filters, varnishes, inks and small gas cylinders, Eko Environmental says.
For more information, contact Grundon Waste via email at technical@grundon.com, or Mike Mackay at Eko Environmental at mmackay@macleanengineering.com.
