Widely used aerosol containers pose a significant environmental challenge due to their content of a range of volatile, liquid, and solid substances. Hence, there is a strong need for their recycling and the recovery of the resulting waste in the form of partially emptied containers. According to the European Aerosol Foundation (FEA), Europe is the largest producer of products in pressurized containers. According to the FEA report for 2015 (as in previous years), this amounts to over 5.5 billion containers per year. Between 2011 and 2014, Poland produced over 110 million units annually, ranking 8th among producers in Europe. Material recovery from packaging is low. In Poland, it reaches 8.4% of the total amount of materials used in the production of these containers. This is due to the complex construction of the containers, which utilize a variety of materials. Furthermore, the containers are filled with the product to be sprayed and a working gas, the role of which is to pressurize the product. The most commonly used working gases are flammable gases that are harmful to the environment.

The aim of the ECO-AEROZOL project is to create an innovative prototype technology line for the environmentally safe recovery of pressurized packaging with controlled release of working gases, using Polish scientific expertise. This goal will be achieved through close collaboration with the Applicant/Lead Project Implementer, CSD-ECO.

In 2017, the project took first place under the Smart Growth Operational Programme 2014-2020, established by the National Centre for Research and Development.