Aerosols as Universal Waste Adopted In Three New States

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized regulations for “Increasing Recycling: Adding Aerosol Cans to the Universal Waste Regulations” on Nov. 15, 2019, and published them in the Federal Register on Dec. 9, 2019. These regulations allow for the management of hazardous aerosol can wastes under the universal waste portion of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) hazardous waste rules (40 CFR 273).    

The rule became effective on Feb. 7, 2020, in non-authorized states and must be adopted in authorized states. Clean Earth is tracking the rulemaking process for the states to show when the rule is effective in each state, as well as the interim steps such as draft regulations and public comment periods. 

The Aerosols as Universal Waste Rule most recently went into effect in Alabama (on Feb. 15), Delaware (on Jan. 21) and Indiana (on Feb. 14).

Anticipated rulemaking by July 1, 2021

• Hawaii (public comment during first half of 2021)
• Mississippi (public comment during first half of 2021)

Anticipated Rulemaking after July 1, 2021

• Maine
• Louisiana (public comment in second half of 2021)
• Oregon (public comment in second half of 2021)
• Tennessee

While the rule is effective in Minnesota, there is anticipated amendment in 2021 with public comment during the first half of the year.

As one of the largest specialty waste companies in the United States, Clean Earth recently announced that its Aerosol Recycling System processed 13 million aerosols in 2020, an 85% increase from the company's aerosol can recycling in 2015.

Clean Earth’s innovative recycling methods are stepping up to the environmental challenges of disposing of consumer commodities. By thinking of these waste streams not only as an environmental responsibility but also as a potential resource, we are able to achieve our environmental sustainability goals while offsetting the cost of processing the material. Reach out to Clean Earth here to discuss solutions for your organization’s consumer commodity disposal needs.