Businesses and individuals needing to dispose of aerosol cans on a regular basis need to understand their responsibilities and be aware of the hazards that are potentially involved. The following are five things you need to know about disposing of aerosol cans to meet guidelines and attain safety standards.
Aerosol cans qualify as hazardous waste on the basis of their being pressurized.
Aerosol cans need to undergo special disposal proceedings regardless of what substances they contain. They are considered hazardous, not because of the substance they contain but because they are pressurized. The pressurized nature of aerosol cans creates some risk of explosion. This is why these cans cannot be disposed of like normal waste.
The Environmental Protection Agency sets guidelines for the disposal of aerosol cans.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the authority in charge of regulating the disposal of aerosol cans. Violations of any of the regulations set out by the EPA could lead to fines and other repercussions for the violator. It's therefore important for anyone using aerosol cans to know what regulations they're subject to and to honor these regulations carefully.
Aerosol cans don't have to be disposed of as hazardous waste if they have been depressurized.
One thing that can be done to change the status of aerosol cans from hazardous waste to normal waste is to have them depressurized. Depressurization needs to be done by a qualified, professional aerosol disposal service. Special equipment is necessary to carry out aerosol can depressurization safely.
It's important that aerosol cans are empty before disposal proceedings begin.
Leaving aerosol cans with some substance still inside can create complications when aerosol cans are recycled or processed for disposal. It's always a good idea to completely empty out an aerosol can before disposing of it. This means that the aerosol can should not be ejecting any substance whatsoever when it is sprayed. Also, the emptiness of an aerosol can be verified by shaking the can and making sure that no substance can be heard moving around inside it.
Individuals should never attempt to crush or puncture an aerosol can.
It's important that individuals never tamper with aerosol cans. It's dangerous to attempt to empty out or depressurize an aerosol can independently by crushing or puncturing it. Tampering with an aerosol can is dangerous and will create the chance that a severe explosion could occur. Those using an aerosol can should never do anything to it other than using it to spray out the substance it contains.
For more information, contact a company that offers aerosol disposal services.
Share3 July 2019
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