Do You Aerosol?

Aerosols are everywhere. Aerosol containers squirt, spray and lather. Some even give lifesaving bursts of medicine. They are extremely popular because they dispense the product so steadily and easily. More than three billion aerosol cans around the world use a standard cylindrical metal canister with the contents under extreme pressure (between 8 and 12 atmospheres, about 3 times higher than the pressure inside car tires).

You too most likely have a few aerosol containers in your home. Go on, count them, we’ll wait…

Yes, aerosol containers are great! Unfortunately, they are not good for the environment. Here is why:
1.    The container has to be cylindrical in shape and made of metal to withstand the high internal pressure applied to its outer walls. Currently, almost all extruded aluminum aerosol packaging is made from virgin aluminum slugs.
2.    If there are still contents within the aerosol can, it cannot be recycled. Instead, it is processed as household hazardous waste.
3.    Aerosol canisters present potential hazard during the packaging step in manufacturing as well as during their use by consumers because their contents are highly pressurized and capable of explosion if heated or otherwise mishandled.
4.    While aerosol containers no longer contain chlorofluorocarbon (CFC), these vessels are pressurized with one of several volatile hydrocarbon propellants, such as carbon dioxide, propane and butane.  These propellants are “greenhouse gases” that contribute to global warming and smog formation.

Israeli startup GreenSpense invented a new alternative, propellant-free continuous dispensing based on nanotechnology. Thanks to this novel design where the eco-sleeve squeezes the product inward rather than outward, the need for a metal canister is eliminated. The packaging can be made from any kind of material, including plastic, biodegradable materials or recycled cardboard. An aerosol container equipped with the eco-sleeve can have just about any shape –– not just cylindrical.

GreenSpense packaging is easy to implement in today’s filling lines. It reduces manufacturing and transportation costs associated with the propellant-related safety requirements compliance.

GreenSpense launched its eco-sleeve this year in Paris at the Aerosol & Dispensing Forum. The company was founded in 2011 in the Misgav Trendlines incubator. Some $750,000 has gone into development so far, and the final product is expected to be ready by the fourth quarter of this year.

Dream clients include L’Oreal, Gillette and Beiersdorf, the company that owns Nivea. PepsiCo has also expressed interest.

Sources: Israel21c, GreenSpense, Best In Packaging