Southside Harley-Davidson Steps in as Proactive Environmental Leaders, Recycling Aerosol Cans

They Are Taking the Lead, Recycling Their Aerosol Cans in an Ingenious Way

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va., Feb. 9 -- On their 15th Anniversary February 12, Southside Harley-Davidson will begin recycling aerosol cans with the Aerosolv(R) aerosol can recycling technology.

Harley-Davidson believes in keeping with our environmental commitment to the communities we serve. Being a leader in our industry includes a responsibility for being a good community partner. "Beginning Saturday, February 12, 2005, Southside Harley-Davidson will begin recycling the aerosol cans generated in our service department," said Steve Benoit, General Manager. "We continuously look for ways to improve our service to our customers and the environment, and the Aerosolv technology is another step we've taken in that direction." Interestingly the Aerosolv technology was developed right here in Virginia Beach, and more uniquely the developer is a longstanding customer of this dealership.

The Aerosolv system has been recognized worldwide as a simple, yet cutting-edge process for safely puncturing and draining aerosol cans, enabling the contents and the steel to be recycled. The Aerosolv system is the first and only aerosol can-recycling technology to be tested, certified and verified by both the California EPA and USEPA, in the highly acclaimed Environmental Technology Verification program. Southside Harley-Davidson will receive a free Aerosolv system, donated by Katec Inc. (Virginia Beach, VA), the manufacturer of Aerosolv. Steve Benoit, General Manager, will officially receive the Aerosolv unit on behalf of the dealership.

The Aerosolv System processes virtually any size aerosol can in less than 15 seconds. It safely punctures the can and drains the residual liquids into a 55-gallon collection drum. Meanwhile, the residual propellant is filtered and coalesced, enhancing operator safety. One 55-gallon drum will hold the residual liquids from 4,000 spent aerosol cans.

"Southside Harley-Davidson is very excited about using the Aerosolv system to recycle a once-hazardous waste steam that otherwise would have been land filled," says Benoit. "We recognize both the cost savings it will bring and the opportunity to simply recycle the aerosol cans. Plus, the Aerosolv technology is easy to use and safe for our employees."

"The chief benefit of the USEPA 'ETV' certification is that it streamlines the regulatory requirements our customers have to deal with when they dispose of aerosol cans," says Michael Campbell, President of Katec Incorporated. "ETV certification opens the door for more companies to use the Aerosolv technology to collect and recycle the cleaners, lubricants and paints generated in their daily operations. Then they can sell the empty aerosol cans as recyclable scrap steel, which they can't do if the cans aren't properly processed."

According to the Steel Recycling Institute, each pound of recycled steel saves 5,450 BTUs of energy in subsequent steel production, as an alternative to traditional raw materials. Campbell said over 28,000 Aerosolv systems are in use worldwide and it is estimated that over 50 million aerosol cans have been recycled with the Aerosolv technology. He says industry statistics show over 3.2 billion aerosol cans are sold in the U.S. each year; 10.5 billion are sold worldwide.

For additional information, contact Southside Harley-Davidson at 757-499-8964, or Katec Incorporated at 800-843-6808.

   For more information, contact:
   Steve Benoit
   Southside Harley-Davidson
   757-499-8964
   http://www.hrhd.com/
   
   Michael Campbell
   Katec Incorporated
   800-843-6808
   http://www.aerosolv.com/

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