A Leicester-based aerosol and paint processing company is to send paints and aerosols gas to be used as replacement fuels in incinerators and cement kilns.

The De-Pack company has announced that it will also recover aerosol gas for use in its on-site boiler as a replacement fuel, with the excess going to high temperature incinerators. Metal packaging from the paints and aerosols will be collected for metals recycling.

The plant, on Wymeswold Industrial Park in Burton-on-the-Wolds, opened last month and is able to take 25,000 tonnes of material a year from commercial companies' end-of-line stock or product recalls.

Canadian

The Hazpak process uses Canadian compaction and extraction technology from a company called EKO to separate the contents from the containers using hydraulic pressure and vacuum.

Catherine Crouch, managing director of De-pack said: "The process utilises best available technology, recycling all components at a price competitive with traditional disposal routes."

Paints, and the majority of aerosols, are classed as hazardous waste when being disposed of by a commercial or industrial business and therefore cannot go to a standard landfill.

Ms Crouch added: "Historically there have been few alternatives for the treatment and disposal of aerosols and paints. The options have been incineration, which offers no element of recycling, or shredding which vents any gases or vapours into the atmosphere."

She said that while the company currently only dealt with commercial business, there would be consideration of taking domestic paint and aerosol waste in the future.

The company also said that it is looking at a number of other opportunities for further plants across the country, using the same Canadian technology to which it has exclusive rights in the UK and Europe.