In the late 1980s and early 1990s, “Save The Earth” was on lips, t-shirts, and bumper stickers. Americans learned that we could help by following three simple rules: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. We began putting out the recycling the same way we put out the trash, and familiar green and blue recycling bins now stand next to trash bins, encouraging people to recycle their soda cans or plastic bottles.

Along with those soda cans and plastic bottles, aerosol containers are fully recyclable as well. Complex containers though they are, aerosol containers are mostly made of steel and are easy to recycle. Steel has magnetic properties, so you don't have to separate them from your regular aluminum cans in the recycling bin. At the recycling facility, powerful magnets can separate steel from the aluminum.

According to the Steel Recycling Institute, approximately 19 billion steel cans (aerosol as well as other types) are recycled per year, at a rate of 600 cans per minute! Thousands of communities across the nation already recycle steel along with aluminum, paper, and plastic.

Find out if your community accepts steel cans, such as aerosol cans, by visiting www.earth911.org . If your community does not already recycle steel, you can get involved and encourage your local recycling center to do so. The Steel Recycling Institute can provide more information about recycling. Call them at 1-800-876-7274 or surf on over to visit them at www.recycle-steel.org .

Another way to “Save The Earth” is to maximize your resources. Don't be wasteful. Remember, aerosol cans are sealed airtight, meaning the products inside have an extremely long shelf life. Use every last bit of spray paint or bug spray to get the full benefit and value from the can. Make sure the can is completely empty before you throw it away or recycle it. Then simply follow the instructions for disposal printed on the can or pitch it into your recycling bin. Remember, the Earth appreciates every little effort you make.

Safe for the Earth, and Safe for You.

Besides being recyclable and earth-friendly, aerosols packing can improve your safety. Aerosols are tamper-resistant and tamper-evident.

What exactly does that mean? “Tamper-resistant” means that nobody is going to touch the product inside that aerosol can, from the second it goes off the assembly line to the second you use it yourself. There is no chance that anyone could tamper with the product inside: dilute it or change its chemical makeup.

If anyone DOES try, it will become instantly evident, because all aerosol cans are “tamper-evident”, meaning, if someone does attempt to tamper with an aerosol can, it will be immediately obvious to any other user. The seals are similar to the tamper-proof plastic seals on juice and milk or bottles of OTC aspirin.