How to Recycle Aerosol Cans
Spray paint, lubricants, air fresheners, pesticide sprays, and other pressurized cans. Whether the can is genuinely empty decides the route, and the contents decide whether emptying it is even appropriate.
Quick answer
Empty means nothing sprays and nothing sloshes, and some programs take those as scrap metal. Anything with product left is household hazardous waste. Never puncture, crush, burn, or leave a can in a hot car. Use-up advice does not apply to pesticide or solvent sprays: those go to a collection site part-full rather than being emptied into the air.
- Recyclable
- Not curbside
- 1Shake and test whether anything still sprays; if it does, the can is not empty
- 2Do not puncture, crush, flatten, or incinerate a can, even one you believe is empty
- 3Take part-full cans to household hazardous waste rather than emptying them to make them binnable
- 4Never spray out pesticide, solvent, or paint aerosols to empty them, since that is a release rather than a disposal
- 5Pull off plastic caps and recycle them separately if your program takes them
- 6Check your own program before binning empties, because acceptance varies widely
- 7Keep cans out of hot cars, attics, and direct sun, since heat raises internal pressure
- Household hazardous waste facilities, for any can with product left
- Municipal collection events
- Curbside or drop-off metal recycling for verified empties, where your program allows it
- Scrap metal facilities that accept empty cans
There is a federal aerosol rule, and the thing to know is that it does not apply to you. EPA added hazardous waste aerosol cans to the universal waste rule at 84 FR 67202, published December 9, 2019 and effective February 7, 2020, but the rule text exempts households and very small quantity generators. It is a framework for retailers and businesses, and states adopt it optionally because it is less stringent than the baseline. For a household the binding rule is your county's. That also means the puncturing devices sold for commercial can-emptying are not a home practice: they exist so a business can manage the waste under that framework, with the collected contents handled as hazardous waste. Contents matter as much as pressure, since a can of wasp spray is a pesticide and a can of spray paint is a solvent product, and neither should be discharged to atmosphere to make the can lighter.
The steel and aluminum in an aerosol can are recyclable and genuinely wanted, which is why some programs take verified empties as scrap. The problem is everything upstream of that: propellants are flammable, residues carry the hazard of whatever the product was, and cans that reach a compactor or an incinerator still under pressure injure people. Buying pump sprays and refillable containers where the job allows removes both the propellant and the disposal question.
Not Accepted
- Part-full cans in curbside recycling or trash
- Punctured, crushed, or burned cans
- Pesticide and solvent aerosols emptied by spraying them out
- Cans stored or transported somewhere hot
- Flammable hydrocarbon propellants such as propane and butane
- Pressurized contents, which rupture if the can is heated or crushed
- Pesticide active ingredients in insect and garden sprays
- Solvents and volatile organic compounds in paints, lubricants, and adhesive sprays
Can you recycle aerosol cans?
Only if they are genuinely empty, meaning nothing sprays and nothing sloshes. Some programs then take them as scrap metal. Anything with product left in it is household hazardous waste.
How do I tell whether a can is empty?
Shake it and test whether anything still sprays. If it does, the can is not empty for disposal purposes, regardless of how little is left or how long it has been in the cupboard.
Should I puncture a can to empty it?
Never. Do not puncture, crush, or burn an aerosol, and do not leave one in a hot car. The propellant is flammable and under pressure, and puncturing is how people injure themselves and start fires.
Can I just spray out the rest?
Not for pesticide or solvent sprays. Use-up advice does not apply to those, because emptying them means releasing the product into the air. Take them to a collection site part-full instead.
Do I remove the plastic cap first?
Yes, where the can is going in as scrap metal. The cap is a different material and comes off easily, and separating it is the difference between a clean metal item and a mixed one.
What about spray paint specifically?
Treat it as hazardous unless it is completely empty. Spray paint combines a solvent-based product with a flammable propellant, which is why it is one of the most common items at household hazardous waste collections.
Recycling centers that accept Aerosol Cans
RecycleFind lists recycling centers that accept aerosol cans. Open a listing for hours, contact info, and directions.