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The Can Manufacturers Institute and the Household & Commercial Products Association (collectively, “CMI”) published a document titled:
Yes We Can! A Practical Guide to Aerosol Recycling at MRFs (“Guide”).
The Guide is described as an “educational playbook” for Material Recovery Facilities (“MRFs”).
Development of the Guide is stated to have been driven by RTI International. RTI is stated to have conducted interviews with 13 MRFs in 11 states. These are stated to have included both public and privately owned facilities in different geographic regions. Further, it included facilities that:
- Explicitly accept aerosol cans.
- Do not accept aerosol cans.
- Accept aerosol cans without publicly advertising their acceptance.
Governmental perspectives on the issue are stated to have been gained through conversations with nine city and state officials.
The Guide is designed to address some of the risks and concerns MRFs face when considering aerosol can acceptance. This includes reviewing conversations between MRFs and other stakeholders in the aerosol can supply chain.
The need for the Guide is driven to some extent by the fact that even though empty aerosol cans are recyclable, acceptance at MRFs is not necessarily “universal” and can be “inconsistent.”
The Guide includes case studies and the following components:
- About the Aerosol Recycling Initiative.
- MRF General Profiles.
- Benefits to Aerosol Acceptance.
- Risks to Aerosol Acceptance.
- Recommendations and Roadmap.
- Glossary.
- Resources.
A copy of the Guide can be found here.
