Adding whipped cream to hot coffee is a wonderful way to start the day. Plus, canned whipped cream makes consuming cream a whole lot easier.
This is especially the case if you’re feeling too lazy to make whipped cream from scratch. That said, canned whipped cream comes in an airtight package, particularly aerosol cans.
So, how can you dispose of your whipped cream cans when they become empty?
Can You Recycle Whipped Cream Cans?
Do you know if you can recycle whipped cream cans or not? Usually, we don’t give plastic and metal recycling much attention. Instead, we just throw them in the trash after using the can’s contents.
However, the short and sweet answer to this question is a ‘yes’. Whipped cream cans are the aerosol kind. They can be safely recycled with other types of metal products.
These aerosols are used for packaging various things around your house, not just whipped cream. For example, air fresheners, spray paints, and deodorants come in aerosol cans.
Aerosols have advantages, but they also have drawbacks. If they are not properly disposed of or recycled, they can harm your health and the environment.
Tips To Dispose of Whipped Cream Cans
Your recycling program would not accept whipped cream cans even though they aren’t toxic. Therefore, always double-check that the can is empty before throwing it out.
However, whatever happens, you should never dump a whipped cream can into the trash. So, on that note, here are a few tips on safely disposing of whipped cream cans.
Dispose of Metal and Plastic Separately
Whipped cream cans have a metal body and a plastic cover and nozzle. Thus, you cannot recycle them together.
So, you must separate the plastic first and dispose of the remaining metal body. Both materials will have to be recycled separately at separate recycling centers.
Empty the Can before Disposing
You should always double-check if the whipped cream can is empty before disposing of it. This is also true for other aerosol can-based products such as deodorants and air fresheners.
If contents remain in the whipped cream can, you should empty it by pressing its plastic nozzle. It is crucial because half-empty aerosols might cause more waste.
Furthermore, aerosol cans are harmful to the handler. If contents are left inside, they can still be pressurized and explode when crushed or punctured.
So, check that you are 100% sure that your whipped cream can is empty before disposing of it.
Avoid De-pressurizing the Can Yourself
It’s better to avoid depressurizing whipped cream cans on your own. The discharge of gases like nitrous oxide makes this hazardous to your health.
In fact, several people have reportedly been injured in whipped cream container explosions in various parts of the world.
Therefore, attempting to depressurize the can oneself endangers both your life and health. Instead, hand them over to a recycling facility.
They will safely depressurize the can using various techniques, then recycle it properly. Ultimately, you only have to worry about whether the can is empty.
Avoid Removing the Plastic Nozzle
While the first thing to do is to separate plastic and metal, you should never remove the nozzle yourself. It can cause the whipped cream can to burst or explode, causing unnecessary injuries.
Instead, leave this step to the professionals. Most recycling facilities have people who are well-equipped to separate metals and plastics.
Dispose Of Them in the Right Recycling Bin
Ask your recycling facility if they accept metal cans, what they do with them, and if they use color-coding. For instance, you can ask them if whipped cream cans go in the blue recycling bin or not!
At the end of the day, mixing different recyclable items is always a big mistake.
Whipped cream cans are both reusable and recyclable. However, they must be disposed of properly to prevent injuries that could endanger you and waste sorters.
Benefits of Recycling Metal Cans
Because metal can be repurposed and reused, recycling it has various economic and environmental benefits.
In fact, scrap metal inspires some of the most well-known artists in the world. It is used in everything from home furnishing to industrial work.
More than 150 million tons of scrap metal is recycled annually in America alone. However, a huge chunk of metal waste in the US comes from aerosol cans.
While you might not think recycling metal matters, trust us, it actually does! So, on that note, here are a few benefits of recycling metal from whipped cream cans!
Availability of Endless Metal Recycling Options
Many homeowners don’t consider recycling metals because they believe big businesses should do it.
Metal-based furniture products such as soda and whipped cream cans are excellent examples of recyclable products.
As more and more governments recognize the numerous benefits of recycling metals, they are establishing scrap metal recycling facilities.
You may also try to sell your scrap metal to a metal foundry to earn a little additional money. It’s a great way to top up your vacation funds. Furthermore, it also ends up creating more space in your home.
Metal Is Endlessly Recyclable
There is no doubt that metals can be endlessly recycled and reused. They can be melted down and shaped into different types of products.
While some metals’ purity may deteriorate over time, most metals can be recycled indefinitely.
Due to this, we can almost eliminate our dependency on new metals. Doing so will safeguard the environment and allow you to save money.
Metal Recycling Conserves Our Natural Resources
As a population, we are all becoming more conscious of how quickly our world’s natural resources are depleting.
We must dig far into the earth’s surface when we need metals. Hence, the fact that we would consume fewer natural resources daily is one of the main benefits of recycling metals.
Furthermore, large volumes of water are required to create metal-based products. Recycling metals cut this requirement down by half.
In the end, recycling metals allows us to conserve the local ecosystem and the animal population for the foreseeable future.
Metal Recycling Frees Up Much-Needed Space
Empty metal products such as whipped cream cans, deodorants, and spray paint take up unnecessary space in homes.
Getting rid of such items allows you to free up space inside your home. You can even get paid to recycle scrap metal. So, all in all, recycling does pay–literally!
However, finding someone to purchase scrap metal and knowing what metal can be sold is another story!
Metal Recycling Allows You to Earn Money
Consider the financial benefits of recycling metals if you’re still unsure about recycling those empty cans of whipped cream.
Aluminum, copper, iron, steel, and brass are all gratefully accepted by scrap yards. However, the amount that you can make varies.
Because every type of metal has a different cash value, scrap metal companies will provide varying cash-outs.
For example, Non-ferrous metals are valued more than ferrous metals like steel and iron.
Metal Recycling Creates More Job Opportunities
According to the NIH, recycling metal can create 236 billion dollars in revenue annually and jobs for millions of people.
In fact, metal recycling generates thirty times more employment opportunities than when burned in an incinerator.
Furthermore, it also creates six times more jobs than when it is dumped in a landfill.
It’s crucial now more than ever that we continue to provide American workers with job opportunities. After all, we had a turmoil of a year with businesses closing down and people being let go.
Recycling Metal Conserves Energy
The energy that would otherwise be used in metal production is saved via recycling. That said, the energy and resources needed to create different metals vary.
For example, recycling steel requires sixty percent less energy than obtaining steel from raw materials. Meanwhile, recycling aluminum reduces costs by ninety-five percent!
So, recycling whipped cream cans can conserve the energy required to power a sixty-watt bulb! It requires less energy to get the same outcomes from scrap metal instead of starting from scratch.
Companies can save money by consuming less energy while minimizing their dependency on new resources.
In fact, the metal you want is already present. You will only have to modify it through recycling, and make it serve a new purpose.
Metal Recycling Is Good for the Environment
Recycling scrap metal creates space in landfills for actual garbage, such as non-recyclable and food products. And less environmental pollution means you’ll be protecting the environment.
While the benefits of metal recycling are endless, the biggest one is the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
More greenhouse gases are produced when new metal is made from mined ore than if recycled metal products are utilized.
In addition to influencing climate change, greenhouse gases also contribute to unhealthy levels of air pollution in cities.
But how much more environmentally friendly is recycled scrap metal? The Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries states that recycling metal can prevent 300 to 500 million tons of greenhouse gases.
Furthermore, as per the Northeast Recycling Council, using recycled steel alone results in an eighty-six percent decrease in air pollution.
Moreover, it reduces water pollution by seventy-six percent and water consumption by forty percent.
Wrapping Up
We all like whipped cream because it elevates our desserts and beverages to a whole new level. But let’s say you use a store-bought can instead of homemade whipped cream.
In such a situation, it is crucial to treat can disposal carefully. This ensures appropriate recycling and minimizes environmental damage from the release of chemicals during incineration.
So, follow the tips in this article and do your part to protect the environment!
Other articles you may also like:
