Pump up the spray: Aerosols in Europe

The European market accounted for 42% of global aerosol production in 2001. Eighty percent of aerosol production is used for personal care, with pharmaceutical a distant second at 9%. Current environmental concerns about aerosols center around the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Once released into the environment, VOCs cause pollution and smog. VOCs also act as heat-trapping gasses and, therefore, contribute to the greenhouse effect. Aerosol cans traditionally come in a cylindrical format. Further developments in the manufacturing process now allow companies to produce cans with ridges and other noncircular shapes. Unfortunately, cut-throat competition and cost considerations have limited the adoption of these techniques.