Aerosol Products Blog

Expanding CAPCO Educational Messages through New Channels

2011-12-06T19:58:00.001-08:00

As part of CAPCO’s mission to provide accurate informationabout aerosol products, one of its key target audiences is teachers. In addition to attending the National ScienceTeachers Association annual conference each year where CAPCO reaches thousandsof teachers with its messaging about recycling aerosol product containers, thetechnology used in aerosols and correcting any dated misconceptions aboutaerosol products and the environment, CAPCO also supports other groups as well.

Women in Science:

The Oklahoma Women in Science Conference is freeto all participants and features many speakers
and hands on activities for approximately 500 girls and their 90 teachers toencourage them to consider careers in science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM). Research shows (link to source) only 15% ofincoming coming college freshmen women intend to pursue a major in STEM ascompared to 30% of men. Keeping Math & Science at the forefront for allstudents is important to maintain a high level of product innovation in theaerosol products industry as well as important for our workforce as a whole tostay at the leading edge of innovation.

Percentage ofEmployed STEM Professionals Who Are Women, Selected Professions, 2008

Womenare clearly a minority in STEM focused studies and careers and CAPCO waspleased to support the Oklahoma Women in Science Conference by sending full-colorflyers highlighting all of its web-based educational resources, a hand-out onRecycling Facts and was also listed on the conference’s wiki space. Dr. Theresa Cullen, Professor of InstructionalPsychology and Technology at University of Oklahoma and key organizer for theevent, finds value in giving the students a broad perspective on issues andstrives to include materials both from regulatory bodies as well as fromindustry.

Chilean Chamber of Aerosol Products:

The Chilean Chamber of Aerosol Products hasbegun an outreach program to help educate Chilean students about aerosolproduct technology, recycling aerosol cans and aerosols and theenvironment. As part of their outreachefforts, they are having the “Another Amazing Aerosol Adventure” educational video professionally translated into Spanish. This will be a great opportunity not only forthe Chilean Chamber of Aerosol Products to reach out in Chile, but also forCAPCO to reach more of the Spanish speaking market in the U.S. and otherSpanish speaking countries.

Let’s Be Clear about Today’s Aerosol Products and the Ozone

2011-10-18T04:29:00.000-07:00

A recent study has been causing some more confusion about aerosol products. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-led study published on October 2nd reported higher than normal levels of ozone depletion in the Arctic. Traditionally, most of the ozone depletion to date has been tracked in the colder Antarctic.

The primary driver of the ozone loss was colder than average temperatures. The very low temperatures allow chemical reactions with man-made chlorine-based chemicals to take place in the stratosphere that deplete the ozone. However, many of the articles that reference the study, incorrectly blame the use of aerosol products without clarifying that that today’s aerosol products no longer contain the chlorine-based chemicals, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), and have not in the U.S. since 1978!

While it is true that the chlorine-based chemicals have a long atmospheric lifetime, most of that used 30-50 years ago is no longer in the atmosphere... Today’s aerosol products in the U.S., European Union, and most countries in the developed world no longer have any CFCs, so consumers can continue to use them without concern of adverse effects on the ozone.

What Does “Ozone Warning Day” Mean?

2011-08-11T05:59:00.000-07:00

It’s summer time and there are many “Ozone Warning Days” that you might see communicated on the local news, on the radio, or even on highways. Since there is a lot of confusion around the term ozone, we wanted to explain the differences between the two types of ozone.

When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says, ozone is "good up high, bad nearby" what the agency is referring to is Upper Ozone and Ground Level Ozone.

Upper Ozone - or stratospheric ozone, is a particularly active form of oxygen, which filters out much of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation. This ozone layer surrounds the earth high up in the stratosphere. Some stories on stratospheric ozone wrongly advise against using aerosol products. Back in the 1970’s scientists discovered that chemicals called CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) were contributing to the depletion of the upper ozone, subsequently; CFCs were banned from consumer aerosol products in 1978, and US aerosol products have not contributed to ozone depletion for over 30 years.

Ground Level Ozone – or tropospheric ozone, is a component of “smog” and can be unhealthy for inhabitants when levels exceed EPA standards. Smog formation requires three ingredients:

1) Sunlight;

2) Nitrogen oxides, which come mostly from anthropogenic (man-made) sources such as automobile exhaust and power plants; and

3) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs), about half of which are naturally occurring and half man-made. "Volatile" means evaporating, and virtually anything that gives off an odor or quickly evaporates into the air is a source of VOCs.

According to the weather section on USATODAY.com this chemical process is describe as such:

When you burn gasoline in a car, a truck, or even a gasoline lawn mower, the stuff coming out of the exhaust pipe includes nitrogen oxides, which are gases. Each nitrogen dioxide molecule is made of one atom of nitrogen and two atoms of oxygen. On a sunny day, air containing nitrogen dioxide turns into a chemistry experiment that's not confined to a test tube.

One of the things that happens is the nitrogen-dioxide sheds one of its oxygen atoms, becoming nitrogen oxide. You can think of single oxygen atoms being lonely and hyperactive (if you like to think of things like atoms in this way.) The single oxygen atoms combine with some of the air's molecular oxygen (consisting of two oxygen atoms), becoming ozone.

Some smog alerts wrongly advise against using consumer products such as aerosol products. The EPA estimates that of the major man-made sources of VOCs, 58 percent are from industrial facilities, 37 percent are from vehicle emissions and 5 percent are from consumer products. The portion of these consumer products packaged in aerosol containers accounts for only a fraction of the 5 percent, and that tiny portion is largely composed of the least reactive—or least smog- forming—type of VOCs.

So, on a hot, sunny day, those ozone warnings are alerting you that air quality may be low and also accurately encouraging you to limit the activities that contribute to worsening the air quality.

Disney Makes Good

2011-06-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Sometimes in the world of entertainment mistakes happen. And it should not be a surprise that one might find good intentions behind some of those mistakes. Such was the case involving a children’s program from Disney’s Television Animation division.

CAPCO reached out to Disney regarding the negative slant and inaccuracies geared towards aerosol products in its popular cartoon series “Phineas and Ferb.” While the aerosol industry applauds the effort of using art and entertainment to educate our youth about the importance of protecting the environment, there is reason for alarm when that education is based on bad information.

Recently, CAPCO received a letter back from Disney acknowledging the aerosol industry’s concerns and recognizing the potential reputational harm that the misinformation in the cartoon could cause.

At the center of CAPCO’s concern was the plot of the episode, in which the villain attempted to destroy the ozone using aerosol sprays (today’s aerosol products don’t contain ozone-depleting chemicals, in fact, they have not contained CFCs for more than 30 years). To correct the misinformation and avoid other misunderstandings, Disney indicated that it would modify the episode for future airings by incorporating new dialogue and changing the overall direction to reflect a more positive tone regarding aerosol products.

We are pleased to have received such a positive response from Disney as their programming reaches millions of viewers each year. Bringing this to the attention of Disney helps to ensure that similar misinformation regarding modern day aerosol products is not presented in future episodes of “Phineas and Ferb” and, hopefully, other cartoons on the network. Clearly, Disney values the presentation of accurate information in its programming.

And for that we applaud them.

Recycle Your Aerosol Cans for Earth Day!

2011-04-15T09:29:00.000-07:00

Each year nearly 4 billion aerosol products are produced in North America for a variety of common uses, from loosening a chain on a bike to shaving. Although aerosols have been free of CFCs since 1978, recent data shows that nearly 70% of consumers still believe that aerosol products harm the ozone layer.

Similarly, many consumers are unaware that consumer aerosol cans are recyclable. For example, empty steel cans of all kinds are recycled at a rate of more than 66%; yet, many empty steel aerosol containers are not finding their way to the recycling bins.

According to the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI), more than 94 million Americans have convenient curbside or drop-off access to recycling their empty steel aerosol containers. This means that more than 15 thousand programs accept steel cans, but only one third of those actively publicize their approval of empty aerosol cans. As a result, too many empty steel aerosol cans are taking up landfill space while valuable steel is not being recycled and reused as efficiently as it could be.

CAPCO and SRI are partnering to educate consumers and recycling program coordinators alike about the recyclability of empty steel aerosol containers. Many common products now feature the prominent Steel: “Please Recycle When Empty” logo to remind consumers of the recyclability of the package. Recycling empty steel aerosol containers is as simple as 1, 2, 3:

Consumers should empty the aerosol of its contents through normal use.
Check instructions for recycling from your local collector to see if empty aerosol cans are accepted for recycling in your municipality.
Place empty aerosol containers in bins along with steel food cans and other recyclable content.

The cans will be processed along with other household recycling materials. For single stream (mixed recyclables), the empty steel aerosol packages will be magnetically separated from other recyclables, and once separated, the empty steel packaging (food, aerosol, etc...) will be baled before being sent to steel mills to become a variety of new steel products.

For additional information related to the recycling of empty steel aerosol packaging or to encourage your municipality to begin accepting them, visit the SRI website at recycle-steel.org. To learn more facts and benefits of the aerosol product form, visit AerosolProducts.org.

CAPCO had Successful NSTA Conference!

2011-03-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

The 2011 National Science Teacher’s Association (NSTA) Conference just took place in San Francisco where CAPCO volunteers successfully communicated three key messages to an estimated 1,400 people.

In preparation for the conference, CAPCO produced a full-color handout that stressed 3 messages:

Technology: Aerosol technology is a great way to teach several basic scientific principles.
Environment: Aerosol products haven’t had CFCs for over 30 years.
Recycling: Empty Aerosol cans are recyclable.

It also highlighted all of the resources that we have available for teachers including; a newly updated website, an updated Teacher’s Kit with 10 lessons and 5 experiments, an interactive learning website www.ecoaerosols.org and our educational videos. In addition, CAPCO collaborated with the Steel Recycling Institute (SRI) to develop a handout with information and facts on recycling empty consumer aerosol cans.

CAPCO’s presence at the conference was met with either:

Confusion: “Why are you here?” or “So…these are bad aerosols, right?”
Intrigue: “Wow, I recycle and I didn’t know that aerosol cans could be recycled.”
Gratitude: “Thanks for being here, I try to communicate that aerosols no longer harm the ozone in my classroom year after year and students still come in believing that they do!”

Of course, we would not have received the booth traffic that we did without the 3000+ products that were donated from industry supporters. The product giveaways included WD-40 (3oz travel size and No-Mess Pen), Sprayway (4oz Glass Cleaner), Energizer (Skintimate shave gel), BP Blaster (Garage Door Lubricant and multi-purpose lubricant), United Industries (Cutter Insect Repellant) and assorted aerosol products from Chase. In addition to the product donations, several people also donated their time by volunteering at the CAPCO booth: John Blum (Ball Corporation), Casper Chiang (Clorox Company), and Don and Sharon Rowen from Industrial Hydrocarbons.

After engaging with several teachers and educators we were able to gather some valuable feedback and come up with some great ideas for how we may improve the resources that CAPCO currently offers to teachers and students. In addition, many teachers are in the process of “greening” their classrooms and schools, so there are also opportunities to help teachers to develop a lesson plan that encouraged their students to reach out to their local municipalities and trash haulers to urge them to accept aerosol cans for recycling in their communities. This would be a helpful tool and a great Earth Day activity.

Overall, it was a successful conference, but there is still much work to be done! Many of the teachers we spoke to still believed that some or all of aerosol products contained CFCs, demonstrating that it is important for CAPCO to continue on its mission to educate teachers, consumers and the media on the facts and benefits of aerosol products.

Upcoming NSTA Science Fair

2011-03-04T04:25:00.000-08:00

CAPCO is preparing to attend the annual National Science Teacher’s Association conference in San Francisco from March 10-13th. Last year’s conference had over 15,000 registrants and representatives for the CAPCO booth spoke with over 1000 attendees.

The theme of this year’s conference is: “Celebrating the Joy of Science: Imagine and Create.” CAPCO will be communicating three key messages to teachers at the conference:

-Aerosol Product Technology

-Aerosols and the Environment

-Aerosol Cans are Recyclable

CAPCO has refreshed the look and feel of its teacher’s kit and will be promoting it at this year’s conference. The kit can now be downloaded in sections and its contents are clearly listed on our website.

In addition, CAPCO is partnering with its long-time supporter the Steel Recycling Institute to communicate aerosol product benefits and to remind teachers and consumers that empty consumer aerosol cans are recyclable! We have created a co-sponsored flyer about recycling facts and tips, which we’ll distribute at the booth.

We have a great group of industry experts who have volunteered to work at the booth and share their knowledge about aerosol technology and this unique packaging form. We are looking forward to a successful conference and one more opportunity to communicate the benefits and facts about aerosol products.

Some Consumers are Really Getting It!

2011-01-28T06:50:00.000-08:00

Although there is still widespread confusion about aerosol spray products’ impact on the environment, some consumers have the facts straight and are sharing their knowledge. In a recent article on www.everydayhealth.com there is a section that points out that aerosol hairsprays haven’t contained CFCs since 1978 and they also have very low VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Anne Fritz in Every Day Health writes:

Many people still believe that the use of aerosol hair spray puts holes in the ozone layer. In reality, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which do destroy the ozone layer, were banned from hair sprays and other aerosols by the United States in 1978. In addition, since 1999, most major hair spray brands have been reformulated so that they contain a smaller percentage of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which increase smog, to meet tighter standards introduced by the California Air and Resource Board. Although these tougher standards are currently enforced only in California, most national brands offer the same product across the country — so even if you live in Nebraska, your hair spray is probably less harmful today than it was ten years ago.

In a blog posting on a site called www.tinychoices.com a mother talks about how the benefits of sunscreen outweigh the ‘costs.’ She finds that sunscreen in an aerosol spray container is much more convenient and effective to prevent sunburns on her kids than the more traditional lotion, and she researches to learn that consumer aerosol products don’t have CFCs (and haven’t for several decades) and are also recyclable! Karina of Tiny Choices writes:

These days, though, if something is related closely to food or body care the propellants are more inert – usually propane or butane (though flammable) or CO2 or nitrous oxide. Interestingly, the aerosol products industry group reports that in recent studies 7 out of 10 American’s think that CFCs are still present in aerosol cans! Even though this has been outlawed for several decades in the US.

So if the problem isn’t the ozone then it stands to reason that the aerosol can may be the more appropriate choice over a plastic bottle, right? But how to take care of end-of-life issues?

Earth911 points out that I should be able to recycle at the local level, as long as the can is actually empty… My research turned up another resource, though, which is interesting and hugely useful for people with limited municipal recycling options: 1800recycling.com has a very useful search feature on their website that looks up where you can recycle hard to recycle materials.

It looks like we’re off to a good start in 2011 with 2 great examples of consumers and the media getting the facts about aerosol products and sharing those facts with their readers.

Aerosols vs. Aerosol Products

2011-01-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

Often consumers and media alike confuse “aerosol products” with the broader term “aerosols.” According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary the word “Aerosol” has 2 definitions:

1. : a suspension of fine solid or liquid particles in gas ; also plural : the fine particles of an aerosol
2. : a substance (as an insecticide or medicine) dispensed from a pressurized container as an aerosol; also : the container for this

Most people think that aerosol products (the second definition) is the only definition for aerosols, and they read scientific reports on climate change and incorrectly attribute the affects of stratospheric aerosols (first definition: fine particles in the air that come from carbon emissions and other natural causes) to aerosol products. This leads to confusion and unwarranted negative association of the aerosol product form to global warming.

A recent blog posting by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) gives many examples of how technical scientific terminology is often misinterpreted by the layman. The article states “there are dozens of words common to climate change research that have the same problem, she said: “error, values, risk, uncertainty – even “aerosol,” which means a small atmospheric particle to scientists, but means “spray can” to many other people.”

Clearly there is a great deal of confusion around aerosol products, and it is important for consumers to know that aerosol products:

1. Do not contain ozone depleting substances (and haven't contained CFCs over 30 years)
2. Do not contribute to global warming

For more information and facts about aerosol products, please visit: http://www.aerosolproducts.org/

CAPCO Responds to Misinformation in Disney Cartoon

2010-11-17T14:08:00.000-08:00

A popular Disney kid's cartoon, Phineas and Ferb has an episode "Ain't no Kiddie Ride" with a lot of misinformation about consumer aerosol sprays and the ozone layer. CAPCO sent the following letter to the Corporate Communications Department at Disney.

To Whom it May Concern:

This e-mail is regarding misinformation on the Phineas and Ferb cartoon episode “Ain't no Kiddie Ride.” In this episode, Dr. Doofensmirtz is gathering up all the aerosol cans in order to spray his name into the sky and burn a hole in the ozone layer. We are writing because of the very negative tone towards aerosol products and blatant misinformation presented in the cartoon. The cartoon tends to have somewhat of a science learning and inventive undertone, so it is even more concerning that children are being presented with misinformation about aerosol products and their impact on the environment.

The cartoon states that the aerosol products contain “ozone depleting propellants” that will be used for the “aerosol propelled Ozone Depletenator” and the “ozone depleting gases therefore destroying the protective ozone layer.” The fact is, consumer aerosol products have not contained the ozone depleting propellants Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) for over 30 years.

In the mid-1970s scientists discovered that CFCs may have been damaging the Earth's upper ozone layer. At that time, many aerosol products did use CFCs as propellants. However, product manufacturers voluntarily began removing CFCs from aerosols prior to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banning them from use in aerosol products in 1978. You will find this information on the EPA website at: http://www.epa.gov/ozone/defns.html

Because of the extremely negative tone towards aerosol products which is based on faulty information, we ask that you stop playing this episode of Phineas and Ferb. Also, please consider consulting the EPA, or the www.aerosolproducts.org website for consultation for future Phineas and Ferb or other Disney sponsored programs that mention consumer aerosol products.

Consumer Aerosol Products Receive Unwarranted Blame for Global Warming

2010-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

A recent Yale University study shows that many Americans falsely believe that aerosol spray products contribute to climate change. The study has received a great deal of media response because it shows that more than half of Americans flunk “Climate 101.” One of the questions on the quiz given to over 2000 participants showed that over two thirds of those surveyed falsely believe that aerosol spray products are a significant contributor to global warming, with some concluding that banning spray cans or "stopping rockets from punching holes in the ozone layer" are effective solutions for climate change. The largest contributor to global warming is increased CO2 from carbon emissions.

One of the major causes for large scale confusion about global warming and climate change are articles and blog entries that are not well-researched, draw incorrect conclusions about data that is unrelated to their claim, and often times result in being very misleading. A recent blog entry on a Discovery Communications blog claims that aerosol spray products are making significant contributions to global warming, but references an article that does not support that claim. The author confused consumer aerosol spray products with “aerosols (sulfates and black carbon)” which are particles in the air that come from burning coal, diesel and biodiesel, not from aerosol spray products. That same author urges users not to use the www.aerosolproducts.org site as a resource because it is “sponsored by industry.” With so much misinformation out there about aerosol products and the environment, there is a need for information from the industry experts. It is in the best interest of the aerosol industry to give consumers accurate information about the technology behind the product form, share proper usage and disposal/recycling information, and correct misinformation about aerosols and environment, when necessary.

In a time when many consumers are striving to “green” many aspects of their lives, it is easy to see how difficult it is to decipher which information sources are factual and credible. As demonstrated from the blog entry above, consumer aerosol products receive an undeserving amount of blame in relation to actual impact that they have on the environment these days. Therefore, CAPCO will continue in its efforts reach more consumers with facts from industry experts.

SATA Conference Presents Opportunities for Aerosol Industry Professionals

2010-10-15T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Southern Aerosols Technical Association (SATA) held its 30^th annual conference in Hilton Head, SC from September 30^th through October 3^rd, 2010. The conference offered many opportunities for aerosol industry professionals to stay abreast of industry innovations, regulatory changes, and consumer trends. SATA provides a great forum to network and share ideas, and speakers offered up best practices, case studies, new product formats and innovations, as well as updates on legislation and other regulatory issues.

Each year a company or an individual receives the Distinguished Service Award for their considerable contributions to SATA and the aerosol industry. This year’s recipient was Radiator Specialty Company.

SATA is a long-time supporter of CAPCO, and it was impressive to see how many industry stakeholders were well-engaged and supportive of CAPCO’s mission to provide facts and educational content about aerosol products to teachers, consumers and media. CAPCO expresses its appreciation to the support it receives annually from SATA and also the opportunity to present to attendees all of the work we are doing on behalf of the aerosol industry.

Aerosol Items ARE Allowed on Airplanes

2010-09-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

Over the past several years it has been a challenge to keep up with what is and what is not allowed in carry-on or checked bags. But, you don’t need to leave your favorite personal care aerosol products at home when you travel. If you are traveling with a carry-on bag (as many of us strive to, especially now that most airlines are charging to check luggage), your aerosol product must be 3.4oz or less and placed in a separate plastic bag with your other liquids. For more information about what is or is not permitted, visit: http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm

Good Cleaning Tips??... Almost.

2010-08-11T09:20:00.000-07:00

This post is in response to an interview on ABC News Now - Cleaning Mistakes

http://www.comcast.net/video/top-five-cleaning-mistakes/1541030352/Comcast/1546963550/

In this interview, Prevention Magazine Senior Health Editor Lauren Gelman gives some cleaning tips including:

Allowing a cleaning product to sit the appropriate amount of “dwell time” so that it is effective.
Not mixing 2 or more cleaning products together.
Wearing rubber gloves to avoid contact and absorption of cleaning products through skin.
Wash pillows, comforters, duvets monthly.
Spraying products onto a rag or sponge instead of spraying directly onto a surface.

For the most part, these seem to be sound recommendations; however her fifth recommendation to spray cleaners onto a rag in order to avoid inhalation of the product is questionable for two reasons: 1) you will likely be holding the rag/sponge closer to your face than just spraying the product directly onto the surface itself, and 2) most surface cleaners instruct you to spray the product directly onto the surface in order to achieve the proper “dwell time” –something that the author highlights the importance of in her first point.

She concludes the segment by cautioning consumers about the fact that there are no strict regulations in place about how a product can be marketed as “green.” Still, she says look for products that aren’t aerosols because “those are always greener than those that aren’t.” Not understanding why aerosol products (vs. non-aerosol) would influence how “green” a product is, I decided to do a bit of research.

I couldn’t find any facts that would y support why aerosol products are “less green” than non-aerosol products. This perception may still date back to more than 30 years ago when it was discovered that some of the chemicals used in spray cans may have been damaging our Earth’s atmosphere and ozone layer. Even though those chemicals, known as “CFCs” (chlorofluorocarbons), are no longer used to propel the contents out of the can, many people still falsely believe that aerosol products are bad for the environment. I also learned that the steel used to make the aerosol containers can actually be recycled at an increasing number of facilities across the U.S. For more information about recycling visit www.recycle-steel.org, and for information on recycling in your community visit www.earth911.org.

Dancing Can and Cool Frog Featured In Video Winners

2010-07-15T06:28:00.000-07:00

What can you learn from a dancing can or an environmentally sensitive frog? Well ... lots if you watch the winning entries of the CAPCO video contest.

Tyler Short, a University of Oregon student submitted the winning 90 second video which features an animated aerosol can that prances and dances while providing interesting facts about aerosols. The dancing can describes the many uses of aerosol products, tells you how an aerosol can works, and provides environmental facts about aerosols.

Chris Wetzel of Cleveland, Ohio won second place with a 25 second video that uses a multiple choice quiz to deliver a single message about CFCs in aerosol. Here's a hint: there aren't any. Third place winner David Molina debunks an environmental myth about aerosols in his 40 second video in which a frog gives you the facts and proclaiming that today's aerosol products are toad...ily cool.

CAPCO sponsored the contest to tap into the creative talent of today's video-savvy young people to inform people about today's aerosol product. Entries were judged on creativity, humor, motivational effectiveness and production quality. The winners receive prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250. To learn more about aerosols visit www.AerosolProducts.org or www.EcoAerosols.com.

Earth Day: A Good Time to Dispel Environmental Myths

2010-04-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

(Washington, DC (April 21, 2010) What better time to dispel environmental myths than Earth Day. Take aerosol products for instance. Data show that consumers still believe aerosols harm upper ozone despite CFCs being removed more than 30 years ago.

Here are a few more myths and facts about aerosol products and the environment:

Myth: Aerosol containers cannot be recycled.

Fact: Empty steel and aluminum cans are recyclable and are accepted by more than 5,300 municipal recycling programs in the United States. Aerosol cans are made of 25% recycled material and are recyclable. If the 3.5 billion+ aerosol products sold annually were recycled, enough steel would be produced for 160,000 automobiles.

Myth: Aerosol products are bad for the environment.

Fact: Aerosol products do not harm the Earth's ozone layer or contribute significantly to air pollution or global warming. Aerosol product manufacturers removed CFCs in the 1970s.

Myth: Use of aerosol products makes a significant contribution to the emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that contribute to ground level ozone formation, or "smog".

Fact: While aerosols and other consumer products often contain VOCs, they contribute very little to ozone formation due to their small quantity and low reactivity.

Atlanta Embraces Aerosol Recycling

2010-04-15T07:38:00.000-07:00

The city of Atlanta recently joined virtually every other major municipality in the United States in accepting empty aerosol cans in its recycling program. More than 5,300 municipalities now include aerosol cans in their collection program. Earth 911, the popular web site dedicated to recycling information, now lists three recyclers in the city of Atlanta and seven in surrounding suburbs that accept aerosol cans.

Most aerosol cans are made of steel and contain 25% recycled material. Aluminum aerosol cans have seen an increase in popularity and are also totally recyclable. Learn more about the recycling aspects of aerosol cans and other interesting information about aerosols, visit www.AerosolProducts.org.

CAPCO Has a Booth at Science Teachers Conference

2010-04-13T11:22:00.000-07:00

More than 1,000 teachers stopped by the CAPCO booth at the National Science Teachers Association's National Conference in Philadelphia to learn about aerosol products. The booth's theme invited teachers to "Use Aerosol Technology to Teach Scientific Principles," and CAPCO representatives explained how they could download a teacher's kit with 16 classroom activities and the popular educational video Another Awesome Aerosol Adventure from the CAPCO web site www.AerosolProducts.org.

Many of the teachers asked questions about the environmental and recycling aspects of aerosol products and were pleased with CAPCO's answers. The teachers also took advantage of fact sheets and pamphlets providing information about aerosol products, and more than 1,600 samples of travel sizes of Sprayway Glass Cleaner, WD40 Pens, and Spot Shot Carpet Stain Remover were given away.

The booth's graphics and handouts promoted CAPCO web sites www.AerosolProducts.org and www.EcoAerosols.com as sources of information about aerosol products that could be used to teach scientific principles. In addition to the teacher's kit and free video, www.AerosolProducts.org has numerous fact sheets about aerosol products and the environment. EcoAerosols.com is an interactive educational site that makes for entertaining homework assignments that help students learn environmental facts.

If you haven't already done so, check out the CAPCO web sites. You'll learn a lot and have fun doing it.

It's Not Too Late to Enter CAPCO Video Contest

2010-04-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's not too late to show your creative side and help CAPCO tell the world about today's aerosol products, and you may collect a nice prize in doing so. Deadline for the CAPCO video contest is April 30th, and all you have to do to enter is visit www.AerosolProducts.org and follow the directions.

CAPCO is looking for 90 second videos to tell about aerosol products and the environmental and unique benefits of aerosol products. Prizes of $1,000, $500 and $250 will go to the winners, and all quality videos will be posted on You Tube and AerosolProducts.org with credit to the creators. You must be 18 or older to enter. Entries will be judged on creativity, humor, motivational effective and content accuracy and production quality.

So, what are you waiting for? Get those creative juices flowing, and prepare your wallet for a new arrival.

The Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational foundation dedicated to providing information about aerosol products.

EcoAerosols Web Site Wins CoolHomePages Award

2010-02-15T06:07:00.000-08:00

EcoAerosols.com, a unique interactive educational web site about aerosol products has been awarded a Cool Home Pages Award by a web site that specializes in evaluating the quality of Internet web sites.

CoolHomePages.com, a popular site for people interested in web site design, presents the award to recognize outstanding sites based on usability, design and content. The site offers visitors the opportunity to view more than 7,650 web site home pages and rate each of them. More than 15,000 people visit the site each day.
The EcoAerosols site, www.EcoAerosol.com, welcomes visitors with a brief statement about the site, and invites visitors to find facts about aerosol products hidden in an internet scene of everyday life. As visitors move their cursor over the scene, facts pop up about aerosols and the environment, and the unique characteristics of aerosol products.

As the curser moves over an airplane, visitors learn that aerosol products do not contain ozone depleting chemicals and do not harm the Earth's upper atmosphere. When the curser moves over a recycled bin, they learn that aerosol cans are recyclable and contain 25% recycled material. And when the curser touches a tool shed, the site points out that aerosol products have a long shelf life, are spill proof and do not evaporate during storage. A total of 15 interesting facts about aerosol products can be found on the site.

EcoAerosols is sponsored by the Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO), a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to providing accurate information about aerosol products. Additional information about aerosol products can be obtained by visiting www.AerosolProducts.com or www.aboutaerosols.com.

New Web Site Provides Facts About Aerosol Products

2010-01-27T12:13:00.000-08:00

A new web site www.AerosolProducts.org recently launched by the Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO) provides a wealth of information about aerosol products. In addition to presenting extensive facts about aerosols and the environmental, the site documents the history of the aerosol industry, explains the technology that makes possible the unique product packaging form and dispels a number of myths about aerosol products.

A special section of the site delves into many environmental aspects of the aerosol package including Aerosols and the Environment, Aerosols and Recycling and Recycling Facts. Additionally, the common misperception that aerosols harm the earth's upper ozone is addressed with fact sheets including: Aerosols and the Atmosphere, The CFC Issue, and Frequently Asked Questions about Ozone. The site also offers special menus for teachers, consumers and the media.

The teachers section contains extensive information about aerosols and the environment and a link to CAPCO's popular downloadable teacher’s kit that includes classroom activities which enable teachers to use aerosol product technology to demonstrate basic scientific principles. The consumer page provides facts about aerosol technology and the many unique aspects of aerosols products. The Media page provides accurate information that can be used in covering issues related to aerosol products.

We encourage you to visit CAPCO's new site and send us your comments at CAPCO@cspa.org. CAPCO is a non profit 501(c)(3) educational foundation that provides accurate information about aerosol products.

ABC Report Ignores the Facts Behind NoCFCs Logo

2009-11-06T06:09:00.000-08:00

An ABC Good Morning America report titled Are Green Products Worth the Money used an aerosol shaving cream product with a “No CFCs” logo as an example of "greenwashing." A spokesperson for the company that reviews green product claims for the Canadian government used the No CFCs logo as an example of "hyping what's been taken out of the product" and called the logo misleading since chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) were banned in aerosols in 1978.

What the spokesperson may not know is that a recent survey showed that 70% of consumers believe that aerosol products still contain CFCs. While it may be possible that the other 30% might consider the No CFC logo misleading, we think that it is important to continue educating the majority who don't know that aerosol product manufacturers began to remove CFCs even before they were banned.

Correcting a misperception about environmental impact is good honest communication that will help the consumer make enlightened product choices.

Be informed on aerosol products—know what you buy and why

2009-10-20T14:24:00.000-07:00

Be informed on aerosol products—know what you buy and why

As awareness of our environment grows, many people have questions about the products and packages they buy, including aerosol products. To help the environment for ourselves and our children, we need to know the facts, so we can be informed responsible citizens and consumers.

Many people are surprised to learn the environmental benefits of aerosol packaging. Aerosol products do not harm the earth's ozone layer, and they do reduce waste through their long product shelf life and minimum spillage. Aerosol products provide important safety benefits by being tamper-resistance and tamper-evident. They require no mixing and are recyclable.

Washington Post Photo Sends Wrong Message

2009-09-23T05:45:00.000-07:00

A photograph and caption that appeared with a September 18 Washington Post film review of the documentary "Earth Days" is misleading. The photograph is a vintage shot of a woman spraying an unidentified aerosol product indoors that was included in a press kit promoting the film. The caption reads: "Earth Days, uses archival video to show environmental abuse such as the use of aerosols and features talks with activists."

The photo caption relates aerosols to environmental abuse although the film says nothing about aerosol products. The only reference to them in the documentary is a brief video segment similar to the photograph shown while a narrator reads an unrelated quote from Rachel Carson. The film is basically a history of environmental concerns depicted through a series of talking heads, mostly activists but some politicians and scientists, and lots of old film footage.

The photo caption fosters the common misperception that aerosol products are somehow environmentally unfriendly. That simply is not true. Yes, more than 30 years ago, many products, including aerosols, contained chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). However, product manufacturers voluntarily removed CFCs from aerosols after scientists discovered a possible link between the products and harm to the ozone. Most aerosol products were CFC-free before the EPA banned the chemical in 1978, yet some 70 percent of the public still mistakenly believe aerosol products contain CFCs.

It's ironic that the Post would publish such a negative photograph in the same week that the leading money making film, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs , is released and concludes with an aerosol product saving the world. You can learn more about today's environmentally friendly aerosol products by visiting www.NoCFCs.org, www.AboutAerosols.com. or www.EcoAerosols.com.

Is "No CFC" Label Misleading?

2009-09-17T08:31:00.000-07:00

A recent blog posting (link to http://www.shopsmartmag.org/2009/08/how-to-spot-fake-green-claims.html?EXTKEY=I91CONL&CMP=OTC-ConsumeristLinks) caught our attention. This blogger said she used hairspray with a "No CFCs" logo and later found out that all aerosol products are CFC-free. Why, then, label a product as CFC-free? Isn’t that a misleading “green” claim?

Aerosol manufacturers voluntarily took CFCs out of aerosols soon after scientists discovered the relationship between CFC and the upper ozone, which was prior to EPA banning CFCs in 1978. The “No CFC” logo was created shortly afterward for product manufacturers to help inform consumers that that the chemical had been removed from products.

A recent survey showed that 70% of the public still think that aerosols contain CFCs. While the other 30-percent may perceive use of the “No CFC” logo a misleading green claim, we think it is important to continue educating the other 70 percent.
We welcome your thoughts by posting a comment.

CAPCO Blog Disclosure

2009-09-17T08:26:00.000-07:00

Purpose of the Blog

CAPCO’s Aerosol Products Information blog is a forum for information on topics related to aerosol products. It is a consumer-oriented forum and is not to be used for commercial purposes.

Legal Statements

1. Defamation Laws. Defamation laws, such as laws prohibiting libel and slander, generally prohibit untruthful statements. Truthful statements and statements of opinion are generally allowed.

2. Copyright Laws. Copyright laws protect the copying, modification and display of certain tangible expressions. By submitting a comment to a posting on the blog, you grant to CAPCO and its successors and assign a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, display, and broadcast that Content. You agree that CAPCO shall be free to use any ideas, concepts or techniques contained in your Content for any and all commercial or non-commercial purposes. By posting Content, you represent and warrant that you own the copyright with respect to such material, have received permission from the copyright owner, or the material is in the public domain.

3. No Political Activity. This forum may not be used to discuss or advocate for the election or defeat of any candidate for political office, whether at the federal, state or local level. Therefore, you may not use the blog to engage in such activity.

4. Monitoring of Blog. CAPCO assumes no responsibility for misleading, fraudulent, defamatory, libelous, threatening, harassing, pornographic, obscene or illegal Content within comments supplied to this site; provided, however, that CAPCO may take any action with respect to any Content that CAPCO deems in its sole discretion is necessary or appropriate, including the deletion of any such Content.

5. Disclaimer. The opinions, advice, statements and judgments or other information or content expressed or made available made by blog users and the matters discussed within comments in the blog (“Content”) are those of the respective author(s) or distributor(s) and not of CAPCO. In most cases, the Content within comments represents the opinions and judgments of the respective information provider or user. CAPCO neither endorses nor is responsible for the accuracy or reliability of any comments

6. Release. YOU HEREBY IRREVOCABLY RELEASE CAPCO, its officers, employees, contractors and licensors FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY DAMAGE, LOSS, LIABILITY OR EXPENSE THAT YOU MAY SUFFER OR INCUR AS A RESULT OF OR ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF THE BLOG OR THE CONTENT.

7. Indemnity. You agree to defend, indemnify and hold CAPCO, its officers, employees, contractors and licensors (“Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against any damage, loss, liability or expense (including reasonable attorney’s fee) that any of the Indemnified Parties may suffer or incur as a result of any claim attributable to or based upon your use of the blog or any of the Content. If for any reason you are not satisfied with the blog or the Content, your sole remedy is to cease using the blog or the Content.

8. General. If any provision of these Rules is held to be unenforceable, this holding will not affect the validity of the other provisions. CAPCO controls the content on this site from our offices in Washington, DC. These Rules, and your use of the sites, will be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of Washington, DC, U.S.A, excluding its conflicts-of-law rules. Any controversy or dispute will be submitted to the local or federal courts in and for Washington, DC. You hereby consent to the personal jurisdiction of Washington, DC, acknowledge that venue is proper in any local or Federal court in Washington, DC, and waive any objection that may exist, now or in the future, with respect to any of the foregoing. These Rules constitutes the complete and exclusive statement of the terms, conditions and representations of the agreement between you and CAPCO with respect to the blog and the Content and supersedes all other agreements with respect to the subject matter hereof.

The Development of Aerosol Technology

2009-08-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Back in World War II, American soldiers were fighting for their lives. They were also being eaten alive by mosquitoes. They needed a way to protect themselves. Scientists turned to a technology that had actually been around since the 18th century, but needed some modifications. Since then, step-by-step, aerosol technology has evolved to what we use today.

The first aerosol was developed in 1929 when a Norwegian engineer designed an early can and valve aerosol propellant system, the “primitive” forerunner for our modern design. During WWII, aerosol spray cans of insect repellents were first developed for mosquito-bitten American soldiers. It wasn’t until 1947 that aerosol technology was introduced to U.S. civilians.

In 1974, Scientists proposed the theory that chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) damage the ozone layer. Prior to that time CFCs were used as propellants in aerosol products. Aerosol manufacturers began to discontinue the use of CFC before the U.S. banned them in 1978. In 1987, 24 countries signed The Montreal Protocol On Substances That Deplete The Ozone Layer, each agreeing to gradually phase out the use of Ozone Depleting Compounds, including CFCs. The protocol eventually fully phased out CFCs in 1996. In 2020, complete global phase out of the ODC Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) is expected to be completed under the guidelines of the Montreal Protocol Agreement.

Welcome to the CAPCO Blog!

2009-08-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone and welcome to the Consumer Aerosol Products Council's (CAPCO) blog. CAPCO is a nonprofit educational foundation and plans to use this site to provide accurate information about the unique benefits and environmental compatibility of the aerosol delivery system.

Through this blog we hope to provide additional information on the benefits and uses of aerosol products. Once you have visited the blog, we encourage you to give us feedback for ideas on future postings relating to aerosol and let us know if you have any further questions on the topics we discuss. We will regularly update the blog, so be sure and check back for more postings and information!

Be sure to check us out for more information at www.NoCFCs.org and on Facebook!