According to the Environmental Protection Agency, chemical, manufacturing, and automotive plants account for more than 1.5 billion empty aerosol cans each year in the United States alone. Or, from a different angle, that’s acres upon acres of aerosol cans that must be dealt with reliably and responsibly by all concerned parties.
The thing with aerosol cans is that pressurized cans can’t be simply tossed in landfills without causing dire environmental consequences. So, even though disposing of aerosol cans in the right way is a challenging task, people who work with this kind of product must adequately dispose of the cans to reduce hazardous waste from becoming an environmental problem and save valuable landfill space.
Usually, aerosol cans contain hazardous materials like insecticides, paints, lubricants, hygiene products, fresheners, and cleaning agents. Most of these products are a combined mixture of liquefied gas, propellant, and solvents under pressure. And even if a can is empty, it’s still pretty hazardous because the container remains pressurized.
So, if you’re interested to learn the proper ways to dispose of aerosol cans without harming the earth, you’re at the right place. Read on to learn what you should do with such waste to spare the municipal landfills across the U.S. that are currently filled with these containers mixed with household trash.
How To Get Rid Of Aerosol Cans If You’re A Company Or Institution
Institutions, labs, industries, hospitals, and companies that seek solutions to get rid of their emptied aerosol cans should contact a waste management company to help them professionally manage their waste. Depending on how many aerosol cans need to be disposed of and the chemicals that might be present, hazardous waste removal services and lab packs can be a good option as well.
And suppose you’re wondering how to dispose of aerosol cans in-house. In that case, you can get an aerosol recycling system which is a puncture device that requires minimal maintenance and allows operators to convert emptied cans into recyclable steel containers. Nevertheless, to determine the best disposal method, you should conduct a chemical audit and select a solution based on your situation.
How To Dispose Of Aerosol Cans For Individuals And Households
On the other hand, if you’re an individual or household with a relatively small number of aerosol cans to dispose of, there are always local means of dealing with the waste properly. First, contact your nearest garbage dump or municipal transfer center to check if they hold periodic hazardous household waste pickups that you can bring chemicals like cleaning products, paint, and aerosol cans to be adequately disposed of.
The quest to dispose of aerosol cans begins when people recognize the proper way to empty the cans or use waste service lab packs to gather and dispose of the cans. Next, waste removal services can securely puncture aerosol cans to depressurize them. Once depressurized, the waste handlers will remove the residual contents and filter out the volatile organic compound emissions to have the cans recycled as waste material.
1. Make Sure That The Cans Are Empty
What is an empty aerosol can? Following Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, aerosol cans are empty when all wastes and contents have been aspirated from the container either through use or puncturing. In addition, the air pressure must be approaching or at an atmospheric level before recycling or disposal for cans that hold hazardous waste.
2. Don’t Depressurize Aerosol Cans On Your Own
Shredding, puncturing, or crushing empty cans should never be done in a household. In addition to the dangers posed by pressurized cans exploding, toxic waste demands specialized equipment designed to empty the cans according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations. This equipment prevents the undesirable release of hazardous air pollutants or chemicals.
3. Always Treat Hazardous Materials With Care
For that reason, aerosol cans containing acute hazardous waste must be disposed of as hazardous waste. Due to the unique properties of aerosol cans, they can’t be prepared for proper disposal by double-rinsing with solvents that can remove the chemical residue like for other types of containers. Regardless of whether the can is to be ready for scrap metal or not, the hazardous waste residue can be removed only according to dangerous waste regulations, which is another good reason to use professional services to dispose of aerosol cans.
Final Words
Diminishing aerosol can usage is a potent way to ensure that the hazardous waste from the cans won’t end up in landfills and pose environmental risks to communities and people. For that reason, both households and companies should aim to achieve sustainability in their practices by reducing industrial wastes, like emptied aerosol cans, and properly dispose of them.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
