An empty shaving cream can may be recyclable, but aerosol-can rules differ by community. Use the product normally until nothing more comes out, then confirm that your local program accepts intact empty aerosol cans.
If product remains, the can leaks, or the valve won’t work, stop trying to empty it. Follow the label and ask your household hazardous waste program what to do.
Check the Can’s Condition
Intact and Empty
Check the label, then ask your recycler whether intact empty aerosol cans belong curbside, at a drop-off site, or in the trash.
Partly Full
Don’t put it in curbside recycling. EPA lists nonempty aerosol cans among items that may need household hazardous waste collection.
Valve Will Not Work
Don’t puncture, drill, crush, or remove the valve. Tell the waste program that the can contains product but cannot dispense normally.
Leaking, Rusted, Bulging, or Damaged
Keep people away and call your local hazardous materials official or fire department for instructions. Don’t improvise a container or transport method.
Empty It Only Through Normal Use
Follow the shaving cream label and use the product for its intended purpose. Don’t spray it merely to rush disposal or release it into a drain, onto soil, or outdoors.
A can that no longer releases product during normal use may still contain propellant. Keep it away from heat, flames, sparks, and puncturing tools.
Don’t test whether the can is empty by shaking, drilling, hammering, crushing, or forcing off the valve. Those methods can release contents or damage a pressurized container.
Ask Your Local Recycler
Recycling acceptance depends on the local facility. Ask whether it accepts empty personal-care aerosol cans and whether the plastic cap should stay on or come off.
A loose cap may follow a different local rule from the can. Don’t dismantle the valve or any part that doesn’t lift off normally.
If aerosol cans are excluded from recycling, follow your waste agency’s instructions for an intact empty can. Don’t assume metal content guarantees curbside acceptance.
Handle a Partly Full Can
EPA advises keeping household hazardous products in their original containers with labels attached. Never mix leftovers with another product.
Ask your local environmental, health, or solid-waste agency about permanent sites or collection days. Confirm shaving cream acceptance before making the trip.
Let the program tell you how to store and transport the can. If the container is corroding or leaking, ask for instructions before touching or moving it.
Do Not Refill or Repurpose the Can
A nonrefillable shaving cream can isn’t a craft or storage container. Don’t cut it open, turn it into a burner, or use it for another liquid.
For a broader look at spray containers, see our guide to disposing of aerosol cans.