Clean Earth West Virginia Facility Poised to Manage Aerosol Cans as the EPA Rule Adding Them to the Universal Waste Program Goes Into Effect Today in the State

• Aerosol Cans as Universal Waste Rule becomes effective in West Virginia today.
• Rule brings opportunity for Clean Earth’s aerosol can recycling plant in Morgantown, West Virginia to support influx of aerosol can recycling needs.

CAMP HILL, Pa. – (July 1, 2021) -  Clean Earth, a division of Harsco Corporation and a leading provider in environmental and regulated waste management services, today announces that its Morgantown, West Virginia location is immediately able to process and recycle aerosol cans in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Aerosol Cans as Universal Waste Rule that has now gone into effect in West Virginia, effective today.

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 recycling of aerosol cans, thereby reducing the number being sent to landfills, as well as to ease regulatory burdens on retail stores and others discarding aerosol cans.

The EPA finalized this new rule on November 15, 2019 and published it in the Federal Register on December 9, 2019.  The rule became effective on February 7, 2020 in non-authorized states but had to be adopted in authorized states such as West Virginia.

Clean Earth's hazardous waste facility in Morgantown is a Part B permitted Treatment, Storage, and Disposal Facility (TSDF) capable of receiving a large variety of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes in drums, totes and bulk. The treatment, disposal and recycling process combine leading edge concepts with proven technology to provide reuse and recycling options without higher costs.  The Morgantown facility’s capabilities include the processing and recycling of aerosol cans. With the ability to batch process and isolate equipment systems, Clean Earth can process waste and non-waste materials based on customer needs.

“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. We have the ability to properly manage, process, and recycle the aerosols we acquire in a safe, environmentally compliant, and efficient manner,” said Clean Earth President David Stanton. “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 incentivized to manage aerosols sustainably as universal waste to avoid more complicated hazardous waste regulations and enforcement.”

Clean Earth’s goal is to help its customers move toward more sustainable methods of handling their wastes. Managing aerosols as universal wastes through a recycling process is one such example of a more sustainable management method because all of the components of the aerosol can be recycled instead of ending up in a landfill or incinerator.

Clean Earth will continue tracking new laws and regulations  across the United States, as well any interim steps.

To learn  more about Clean Earth, visit www.cleanearthinc.com or follow Clean Earth on LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.