Q&A: Mike MacKay on why industry-wide change is essential for aerosol recycling
A closer look at how the Global Aerosol Recycling Association is setting the stage for a circular economy for aerosols
Aerosol recycling has long been a neglected aspect of waste management. Even when recycling does occur, most efforts focus solely on recovering the metal cans, leaving other components like propellant gases and residual hazardous liquids untouched. This partial approach fails to address the full environmental impact of aerosols and hinders the transition to a circular economy.
I caught up with Mike MacKay, co-owner and managing director of Despray Environmental, to discuss the current challenges in aerosol recycling, how industry collaboration can create a safer and more sustainable industry, and the recent establishment of the Global Aerosol Recycling Association (GARA).
Read on to discover how the recycling industry is evolving to ensure that every part of an aerosol container can be safely and efficiently recovered.
Slone Fox: How would you describe the current state of the aerosol recycling industry?
Mike MacKay: Globally, the aerosol recycling industry is extremely under-equipped with virtually no practical programs in place to address the environmental challenges ahead. The ownership of responsibility for proper recycling is a big issue. Who is responsible for the end of life of these aerosols and how is it funded? That's the main issue. The environmental responsibilities for these products basically end once they are shipped from the manufacturer's back door.
The public pressure for climate change action has brought aerosol recycling to a new place. This year is the first time in my 26 years in aerosol recycling that I've seen the aerosol industry taking some responsibility for the end of life of aerosols. This new enthusiasm is welcome and way overdue. We're certainly starting from behind the eight ball with less than 20 percent of aerosols being recycled, based on my observations. That number is even less if a full circular economy is the baseline.
With the launch of GARA and the aerosol industry's full support, I truly believe a major environmental impact can be accomplished. As the saying goes, "It's never too late to start." Unfortunately, in the case of aerosols and a circular economy, action is long, long overdue. In just the past year, a very open and positive change of attitude is happening.
SF: What are some of the biggest issues in aerosol recycling today?
MM: The single biggest obstacle to aerosol recycling is safety and applying the proper technology to mitigate accidents, fires, and explosions. MRFs, household hazardous waste (HHW) sites, cities, private vendors, and fillers do not want any part of the safety risks. Therefore, aerosols are unfortunately recycled at extremely low rates. To combat this, Despray has developed the world's safest and most efficient aerosol recycling technology with over 27 safety features.
Secondly is the end use of propellant gases after being captured in the recycling process. Since these gases can't be used as an alternative fuel, the obvious and perhaps the only choice is to release them into the atmosphere. Although this is a counterintuitive solution, it's a reality for recyclers. Despray's gas-cleaning technology has received global patents that deem the propellants 100 percent clean. This allows for the propellants to be deemed "end of waste" and used fully for waste-to-energy applications. This technology is now ready for commercial use and it's a game changer.
In some jurisdictions, aerosols are not recognized as an individual waste stream, and therefore recycling protocols and recycling programs are simply not in place for either the public, the industry, or the recyclers to follow. This must change. Improper collection and separation methods of these cans do not give an opportunity for the recyclers to process these aerosols, even if they are motivated to do so.
Another issue is financial allocation and responsibility. Money that is dedicated to aerosol recycling from EPR programs, stewardship programs, and deposit return schemes needs to be better directed to more effective aerosol programs that will reward potential recyclers by allowing them to profit from aerosol recycling. Aerosol recycling equipment is expensive due to extreme safety concerns, so this investment needs to be rewarded with a proper ROI for recycling programs to be interested.
Lastly is public education and awareness. Social media engagement is a must to bring these programs and necessary instructions to the public. The average person wants to do what's right for the planet, but they need direction to be able to participate. TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram need to be utilized to engage with the average person.
SF: In terms of material recovery, what specific advancements does Despray offer that can increase the yield of recyclable materials from aerosol containers?
MM: Currently, Despray offers a 100 percent aerosol recycling solution. Other methods generally only target the metal can as a recyclable product. The propellant gases and the liquid hazardous waste are generally not targeted or recycled due to technology complexity and safety. Despray enables all three waste streams to be 100 percent recycled, not only efficiently, but safely. Despray also developed "end of waste" technology for the captured propellants. This allows for full use of the propellants as an alternative fuel.
SF: In your opinion, what steps are needed to bring these innovations into mainstream use?
MM: First and foremost, the problems of aerosol recycling globally need to be acknowledged by the industry. International data collection is crucial to creating multi-level recycling programs. From that data, programs can be rolled out that combine efforts between manufacturers and all other stakeholders throughout the value chain.
The complications of tackling this waste stream are many. Aerosols are not recognized as an actual waste stream, and therefore no standard guidelines are in place. Another barrier is attaching a recycling fee to these cans which reflects the high costs and complexities of properly recycling aerosols.
To do things correctly costs money. If the recyclers can't be compensated for recycling costs, then there is no motivation to process this waste stream. A financial bounty of some sort needs to apply to all aerosol cans. A public awareness and public education plan also needs to be put in place, and GARA plans on providing the training and necessary programs to initiate and roll out both industry and public aerosol recycling programs.
SF: Looking ahead, what future innovations do you envision for the aerosol recycling process? Are there emerging technologies that you believe could complement or enhance your current solutions?
MM: We have the technology to recycle aerosols with 100 percent efficiency, and future innovations in propellant gas purification are currently being explored. We are very close to making that a reality. Gas cleaning would allow the propellant gas to be recognized as "end of waste" which will allow it to be used fully for waste-to-energy solutions.
Advancements in environmentally friendly propellant types could also add to the viability of manufacturing an environmentally friendlier aerosol product. Proper sorting technology at sorting plants and waste facilities would also be a breakthrough for recognizing and separating aerosols from other non-aerosol cans.
Proper sorting through trained robotic pickers or scannable identification tags on cans are also future technologies that require R&D. They would serve to track data and separate aerosols from all other types of cans. This way, they would be much easier to process as a separate waste stream. The problem now is that everything is mixed together which creates unsafe situations.
SF: How do you see GARA influencing the establishment of global standards and best practices for aerosol recycling? What standards do you believe are crucial for effective recycling processes?
MM: GARA will play a key role in the education and implementation of recycling programs. This is an overwhelming task that starts with data collection. The plan is to join the main forces of the aerosol industry to create programs that can be used as a resource to address the aerosol recycling issues globally.
Safety assessments, carbon credit calculations, and technical support will also be part of GARA's vision. I believe that a singular program will not work for all parties, regions, or recyclers. GARA will create different recycling programs that will be rated bronze, silver, gold, and platinum. Each one of these programs will have its own methodologies, safety protocols, and environmental impact recognition.
The aerosol world is in great need of a single source of information, and GARA plans to be that source. With industry support, any entity can have access to necessary information that will at least start to address their aerosol recycling needs.