Groundbreaking Recycling Program Keeps 75 Tons of Acetone out of Ohio and Our Nation’s Landfills
ROCKPORT, MASSACHUSETTS (PRWEB) DECEMBER 17, 2008
Cylinder Recyclers, Inc. today announced that during 2008 alone, the company reclaimed and recycled more than 75 tons of acetone through its unique acetylene tank recycling program. Cylinder Recyclers is the only environmental company in the U.S. with capabilities for recycling spent acetylene cylinders and recovery of residual acetone. Acetylene tanks are commonly used by the welding industry, and unlike most other compressed gas containers, they contain acetone in a solid binding medium. Until recently, the only option for disposal of acetone-contaminated acetylene tanks was in landfills or long-term on-site storage.
“The goal of all our cylinder recycling services is to keep as much usable material as possible out of landfills, while giving businesses an environmentally responsible way to dispose of spent cylinders,” says Jim Hemeon, president of Cylinder Recyclers. “The European Union already bans the disposal of acetone-containing acetylene cylinders in landfills – so we feel we’re putting our customers ahead of the game while keeping thousands of gallons of chemical out of the ground.”
Because of the large amount of material salvaged by Cylinder Recyclers’ recycling programs, its affiliate, Cylinder Processors, Inc., was recognized with the Interchange Business of the Year award by Ohio’s Hamilton County Solid Waste Management District.
The company’s efforts not only decreased the amount of solid waste going to regional landfills, they also reintroduced useable commodities back into the manufacturing process, conserving natural resources.
Cylinder Recyclers customers include major gas distributors across the country who utilize its recycling services to reduce their environmental impact and work toward six-sigma objectives.
“Through one client alone, we collected more than 4000 gallons of acetone this year plus large amounts of scrap metal from the recycling of their acetylene cylinders,” adds Hemeon. “For them, getting these tanks off their property and responsibly recycled isn’t just a matter of HSE risk reduction, it’s also a competitive advantage, because being a environmentally responsible business partner is increasingly valuable in the industrial marketplace.”
Cylinder Recyclers also decontaminates and recycles acetylene cylinders produced prior to 1985, most of which are contaminated with asbestos in addition to acetone and which present additional disposal challenges for end-users and distributors.
For information on acetone hazards, visit the U.S. Government’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registryhttp://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts21.html
For more information about Cylinder Recyclers go to their website:
Cylinder Recyclers helps clients across the nation reduce risk, avoid liability and maintain sound environmental practices by responsibly recycling compressed gas cylinders of every size, shape, and substance and by recovering residual gas for reuse. Cylinder Recyclers is the only resource in the nation for recycling spent acetylene cylinders.