Can aerosol cans be recycled?
Steel and aluminum are infinitely recyclable. But does that mean you can recycle your empty aerosol cans?
Maybe. Maybe not. Here's the scoop.
Aerosol cans are typically made from steel or aluminum, but whether they can be recycled locally is up to your area's recycling service.
If you live in a community that accepts empty aerosols in your curbside recycling, make sure you remember this golden rule: your aerosol cans must be completely empty before you can recycle them. Aerosol cans are pressurized, so they’re highly flammable.
Have aerosol cans that aren’t empty? Take them to your local hazardous waste collection facility for safe disposal. You may also post them to a local neighborhood exchange group; someone who lives nearby may need the product you no longer have use for.
At one time, aerosol cans contained chemicals known as chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs. In the mid-1970s, scientists warned that CFCs, also found in refrigerators and air conditioners, were depleting the ozone, the layer of the atmosphere that shields life on Earth from harmful UV rays.
But something amazing happened. Faced with a problem that could impact all human life, the international community came together to phase out the use of CFCs. It made all the difference: the ozone layer is projected to recover by about 2050, saving millions of people from potentially fatal skin cancer. This should give us hope that we can join together again to face today’s environmental challenges.
More aerosol can recycling options in the future?
Today, nearly 4 billion aerosol containers are sold every year in the United States. Those containers are made from about 300,000 tons of steel or aluminum, material that can be recovered infinitely through recycling rather than lost to a landfill.
A campaign is underway to encourage more municipalities to accept aerosol cans for recycling, either through curbside pickup or other community collection programs. In 2022, the Can Manufacturers Institute and the Household and Commercial Products Association launched their Aerosol Recycling Initiative, with the goal of achieving an 85% recycling access rate for aerosol cans by 2030.
Reduce: Aerosol container alternatives
According to The Recycling Partnership, only 39% of U.S. households live in communities where aluminum or steel aerosol containers are accepted for recycling. If you live in a community without access to aerosol can recycling, consider reducing your usage to avoid sending recyclable metal to the landfill.
Some ideas: use a sunscreen that can be applied as a lotion, rather than one that comes in a pressurized can. Use stick deodorant instead of spray. And use butter or parchment paper instead of a cooking spray.
Looking for more information about recycling in your community? Check out our household guides.
Chicago I Flagstaff I Highland Park, IL I Houston I Lafayette I Los Angeles I Philadelphia I Santa Monica I Sedona I West Hollywood
