We Recycle Aerosol Products
Flat Can Recycling accepts aerosol products for recycling
Do you have empty or unwanted aerosol products lying around your home or garage that you want to dispose of?
Flat Can Recycling is proud to announce that in collaboration with our closed-loop processing partners, we accept a wide range of aerosols including spray paint, auto/lubricant/industrial products, insecticides, food product, specialized products, household cleaners, and personal care products for recycling at our Flat Can Recycling HQ drop site! We also work with local businesses and organizations providing bulk aerosol product recycling, use the contact us form to have a conversation.
Why recycle your empty, old, or unwanted aerosol products?
Residual liquid and propellant remain inside “empty” cans (even when the cans can’t be sprayed anymore), and these substances can be hazardous when they leach into the soil and groundwater surrounding residential communities and natural habitats. But because they’re challenging to disassemble, most end up in landfill or getting incinerated. This is problematic because it takes steel cans 50 years to degrade, plastic 100 years, and residual paint and other substances 13+ years!
What happens to recycled aerosol products?
All spray paint, primers and coatings, poly sealers, and poly stains are safely processed in Flat Can Recycling’s Elburn-based facility. Plastic caps and spray tips are sent to Granite Peak Plastics where plastic is processed into flakes and pellets for reuse (such as plastic injection molding). Aluminum cans are sent to Elgin Recycling where they are processed, refined, and reshaped for a variety of uses. All other material is sent to Recycle Aerosol in Bells, Tennessee for responsible disposal.
Where to recycle your aerosol products
There are two ways to recycle with us. Simply stop by our 732 Hicks Drive drop site in Elburn, IL between 7 AM and 4 PM, Monday – Friday, or stop by one of our recycling events!
Recycling aerosols with us costs $1 per can.
List of accepted items
Last updated 11-11-2022
Spray Paint
● Paints
● Primers
● Coatings
● Poly Sealer
● Poly Stain
● Workable Matte Fixative
● Appliance Epoxy
● Sanding Sealer
● Watersealer & Waterproofer
● Ceiling & Texture Paint
● Letra Jet & Airbrush Propellant
● Rust Control & Epoxy Rust Mate
Auto, Lubricant, & Industrial
● Glass cleaner
● Bug remover
● Tar remover
● Brake cleaner
● Lubricants
● Coatings
● Citrus based stripper
● Vandalism & Graffiti Remover
● Degreaser
● Adhesive Remover (NOT Adhesive Spray)
● Metal Protective Coating
Insecticide
● Insect killers
● Foggers
● Mosquito repellent
● Bite relief
● Sting relief
Food Product
● Cooking spray
● Baking spray
● Cheese products
● Whipped cream
● Icing
Household Cleaners
Cleaners
● Glass cleaner
● Carpet cleaner
● Odor eliminators
● Dusters
Polishes
● Furniture
● Metal
● Multi-surface
Disinfectants
● Hand sanitizer
● Multi-surface cleaners
● Disinfectants
Protectants
● Fabric protector
● Rubber protector
● Vinyl protector
Personal Care
Hair
● Hairspray
● Mousse
● Dry shampoo
Face
● Shaving cream
● Shaving gel
● Facial mist
Skin
● Deodorant
● Foot powder
● Sunscreen
● Body fragrances
Specialized
● Asthmatic inhalers
Not Accepted
● Oven cleaner
● Sealants
● Undercoatings
● Adhesives
● Expanding foam
● Radioactive material
● Self-defense sprays (e.g.
pepper spray, dog spray)
● Aerosol containers with a
missing or illegible label
