Aerosol Industry Marks 25th Anniversary of CFC-Free Products

PHILADELPHIA, March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) announced that today marks the 25th anniversary of Federal regulations prohibiting the further use of chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) propellants in almost all aerosol products manufactured and sold in the United States. Despite this environmental achievement most Americans aren't aware that it happened.

Twenty-five years after the Federal regulation took effect, 60% of Americans in a recent poll still believe that aerosol spray products -- including hair spray, shaving foam and bug spray -- are bad for the environment (2002 RoperASW). "Even though it's been OK to spray for decades, it seems that many Americans, including members of the media, don't realize that aerosol products no longer contain CFCs and often by-pass the aerosol product as a result," said John E. Roycroft, President - Aerosol Packaging Division of Crown Cork & Seal Company (USA), Inc.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration issued regulations effective March 17, 1978 prohibiting CFC use as aerosol propellants. Even before that date many U.S. manufacturers of aerosols removed CFCs voluntarily in response to environmental concerns over the link between CFCs and the depletion of the Earth's protective ozone layer.

"The good news is that American consumers can enjoy the convenience and inherent benefits of aerosol sprays without concern for the Earth's protective ozone layer," continued Roycroft.

Less than one percent of aerosols -- "essential uses" such as asthma inhalers -- are permitted to use CFCs. However, even these exempted uses are steadily switching to non-CFC propellants.

Crown Holdings, Inc. is a leading supplier of packaging products to consumer marketing companies around the world. World headquarters are located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

For further information on aerosols and the environment, to request survey findings from RoperASW and for educational information available from the Consumer Aerosol Products Council (CAPCO), visit www.greenerchoices.org/no-cfcs.

Source: Crown Holdings, Inc.