How to Dispose of A Shaving Cream Can

If your ecologically minded self feels guilty for using shaving cream cans, we have good news for you. It’s possible to recycle them.

In fact, the best way to dispose of your shaving cream cans is by recycling them. Read on for more details.

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How to Dispose of a Shaving Cream Can Via Recycling

Recycling is undoubtedly the best option for disposing of your shaving cream cans.

Follow these easy steps to recycle your shaving cream can.

Step 1: Empty the Can

A partially-full shaving cream can is a nightmare for recycling companies. So, do your part and ensure every last drop of cream is out of the can.

To do so, shake the can. Then, press the button and wait for any remaining drops to exit.

Step 2: Understand Recycling Requirements

If you have a program that picks up recyclables from your home, you likely already know their requirements.

Many recycling companies require their users to sort their recyclables. If that’s the case, you need to determine which category your shaving cream can is in.

Most shaving cream cans contain one or more of the following materials:

Tin
Metal
Steel
Aluminum

Of these categories, steel is among the most common that recycling companies offer.

Therefore, it’s usually safe to put your shaving cream can into the steel category.

Step 3: Release Your Shaving Cream Can Into the Recycling World

Whether you have home recycling or bring your shaving cream can to a recycling center, there’s nothing else you need to do.

Except, perhaps, feel good that you’re not adding more garbage to a landfill.

Determining if You Can Recycle Aerosol Shaving Cream Cans

If you’re hesitant to put your shaving cream can in the recycling bin, there’s an easy solution.

Simply type your postal code into Recycle Now. They’ll share detailed information about recycling services in your area.

Even more importantly, they’ll confirm where and how to recycle your aerosol shaving cream can.

Tips for Recycling Shaving Cream Cans

Now you know that you can dispose of your shaving cream can via recycling. However, there are some items you should keep in mind before doing so.

Some aerosol recycling best practices include:

Don’t crush the can
Avoid puncturing holes in it
Remove any loose parts

Often, you’ll be able to remove the plastic lid at the very least. In that case, you can recycle the cap separately.

The recycling company will remove any parts of your shaving cream can that aren’t metal. Usually, this involves taking off the lid and valve dip tube, made of plastic and rubber.

Mandatory Shaving Cream Can Recycling

Although recycling your shaving cream cans should be the go-to option for anyone, certain people must do so in certain states.

If you live in California or Colorado, you have to recycle your shaving cream cans by law.

That’s because these states classify aerosol cans as universal waste. Therefore, they’re not allowed in landfills, and you may receive a fine if you get caught.

Universal waste is a concept that the Environmental Protection Agency developed. The purpose is to improve the collection and recycling of items that people commonly dispose of poorly.

Therefore, make sure your shaving cream cans make a beeline to your recycling bin if you live in Colorado or California.

Disposing of Your Shaving Cream Can in the Garbage

Shaving cream doesn’t contain hazardous materials. Therefore, you can dispose of it in your household garbage can.

If you do so, it’s still a good idea to empty the can. Even so, the shaving cream container will still have pressure.

If you wish to fully depressurize it, you can puncture a small hole at the top of the can. Using a nail and hammer is often the easiest way to do this.

Nevertheless, you don’t have to depressurize your shaving cream can before throwing it away.

And, of course, if you have the means to recycle the can, please do so. There’s no sense in adding unnecessary waste to landfills.

Why Disposing of Your Shaving Cream Can Poorly is Dangerous

Let’s start with this—recycling or throwing out a single can of shaving cream has little chance of harming you or others.

However, these cans have liquified gas.

When you use your shaving cream can, the gas pulls away from the liquid. By doing so, it evaporates into the air while turning the product into the useable cream you know.

By ensuring your shaving cream can is empty before you recycle or throw it away, you decrease the chances of an explosion. Nevertheless, some gas always remains unless you puncture it.

Remember, recycling companies don’t want you to puncture your shaving cream can. You don’t have to put a hole in the can before throwing it away.

Nevertheless, if you let a mound of shaving cream cans pile up before throwing them away, it increases the possibility of a hazardous situation.

Bloomberg Law released a report on the dangers of people working at aerosol factories. These employees work around many small aerosol cans like shaving cream.

Therefore, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration says that flammable gases could create an explosion or fire hazard if they don’t properly manage them.

There’s a lesson here for the everyday shaving cream can consumer. If you throw out your can or put it in the recycling bin, you could inadvertently create a fire or small explosion.

The ways this could happen are:

Too much pressure on the can from other garbage
An improperly extinguished cigarette butt or match reaches the gas in the can
The can gets too hot

So, before you dispose of your shaving cream can, consider the environment it’ll be around.

If you have many aerosol cans to dispose of at once, it might be best to take them directly to a recycling center.

Reusing a Shaving Cream Can

You now know that recycling is the preferred method for disposing of shaving cream cans.

However, you might be wondering—can you reuse the cans?

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible to safely reuse shaving cream cans. The reason being is that these cans have an aerosol feature.

Therefore, reusing them would require puncturing a hole in them to refill them. However, the pressurized air will leave, making the can unusable.

For this reason, if you’re concerned about your ecological footprint when using shaving cream, your best option is to recycle the can.

What Happens to Recycled Shaving Cream Cans

If your curious mind has got you wondering what happens to your recycled shaving cream can once you dispose of it, read on.

Your can will arrive at a material recovery center. There, a machine will puncture it and dump out any liquid that you couldn’t reach yourself.

A machine with a magnet then comes in, which will pull out your shaving cream can if it contains steel. All aluminum cans will remain in a pile.

Both piles of cans will then undergo crushing and baling. Then, a recycler purchases them, where individuals and companies can buy the recycled material for reuse.

FAQs About Disposing of Shaving Cream Cans

Do you still have doubts about the process of disposing of your shaving cream cans? Read on for answers to common questions.

Can you receive money for recycling shaving cream cans?

No. Unfortunately, shaving cream cans don’t contain aluminum. Therefore, you won’t receive any money for recycling them.

At what temperature does a shaving cream can explode?

Shaving cream cans are typically aerosol.

Therefore, they can explode if the environment around them reaches around 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

At what pressure can a shaving cream can explode?

Most shaving cream cans will explode if they undergo a pressure of 210 psi. Therefore, you must not place heavy garbage on top of them.

For example, tossing a rotten cantaloupe on top of a shaving cream can isn’t likely to do harm.

However, throwing cement blocks and other heavy garage debris on them could.

Should You depressurize a shaving cream can before disposing of it?

If you plan on recycling your shaving cream can, you shouldn’t depressurize it first.

However, if you dispose of it in your regular trash, it’s ok to depressurize it.

In fact, depressurizing the can will decrease the chances of an explosion or fire.

Can you recycle shaving cream can caps?

Yes, most shaving cream cans have disposable caps. If your recycling company requires that you sort your recyclables, your caps will go in the plastic pile.

Is it okay to throw away shaving cream with cream still in the can?

No. Under no circumstances should you throw away a can with shaving cream still in it.

If you can’t empty the can before recycling or throwing it away, it becomes hazardous waste.

Therefore, you’ll need to dispose of it according to your local hazardous waste guidelines.

Wrap Up

Shaving cream cans are an everyday household product that you can easily dispose of.

When possible, it’s best to recycle your can. However, throwing it in the trash is another option. In either case, make sure the can is completely empty before you dispose of it.

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