Which isn't hard to do because, really, I don't think about them very often.
But I digress. Since finishing the project involved using a few cans of spray paint, I have been wondering what to do with them. I know my curbside recycling program didn't accept them, so I thought I'd look and see what my options were.
Here's what I learned:
1. Yes, aerosol cans are able to be recycled. In fact, it is very important that they are recycled. Once put in a landfill, they become a hazard due to their flammable and explosive nature. If there were ever a fire in a landfill, they have the potential to explode which poses a great threat to the landfill workers and firefighters.
2. So yes, we need to recycle them. And to do so, they need to be completely empty.
3. If they are somehow defective, and therefore are unable to be emptied, you should attempt to return them to the store that sold them to you as they will often accept them.
4. But once you have a can that is empty and ready to be recycled you just need to find a spot that accepts them.
5. To find locations that accept aerosol cans near you, just visit Earth911 and search based on your zip code.
That's it. Easy as that.
