Whereas butane is useful on various occasions, including lighting the fire, BBQ, and camping, it can be dangerous if handled carelessly.
It would be best to be careful when disposing of butane and its cans. It can potentially harm workers in sanitation sites and nearby animals.
Besides, its impact on the environment is too negative to ignore. Here are ways and precautions regarding how to dispose of butane cans;
How to Dispose of Butane Cans When Empty?
If the butane cans are empty, follow these steps to dispose of them properly;
- First, ensure that the butane can is indeed empty by venting it to release any remaining butane gas
- Remember to wear protective gloves to ensure that you are safe from contacting the gas or any potential burn
- Select an environment that’s safe for puncturing the butane cans. It should be well-ventilated and far from any source of heat, especially an open flame
- Grab a screwdriver or any other ideal puncturing tool to eliminate any gas. Expect a mild explosion upon puncturing the can if there is any gas left
- Once it is empty, ensure you take it to a recycling facility. You can also consider a hazardous waste facility for disposal.
How to Dispose of Butane Cans When Not Empty?
On the other hand, you may want to dispose of butane cans that have remaining gas. These are your options under such circumstances;
Empty the Butane Can
If you don’t consider using the butane anymore, you can empty it and drain the remaining gas. As you dispose of the gas, adhere to the manufacturer’s guidelines and local regulations.
Once there is no gas left, follow the procedure of how to dispose of butane cans when empty, as discussed above. Follow them carefully to avoid endangering yourself, other people, and the environment.
Ship the Butane Cans to the Store or Manufacturer
If emptying the butane and disposing of the can seems too much to handle, this option will take away your worries. You can dispose of the butane cans in the store you bought them from.
Alternatively, take the can to its manufacturer. It is an effective way of disposing of butane cans carefully and properly.
Some stores also give customers who return butane cans some benefits through the take-back program. The reward can be a store credit or refund.
Give it to a Loved One
Does a family member or friend use butane cans? Given its versatility and various use, the answer is most likely a yes.
Look for one who is interested and give the can to them. Rest assured that this will appreciate it since butane cans aren’t cheap.
Giving it away help the recipient save a considerable amount of money. It also reduces the chances of the can landing in the hands of children or pets.
That also ensures that no can that contains butane lands in regular landfills. If not your relative or friend, consider a neighbor and offer the cans to them.
Donate it to a Facility or Store
Local businesses would appreciate you donating butane cans. That’s great because you will help someone in disposing of them.
Look for a facility or a store that has the respective recycling programs. It won’t be hard to locate one since they are quite many.
Some of the most common places supporting these recycling programs include home improvement, auto parts, and hardware stores.
How to Handle Butane Cans Safely
Ensure you handle the cans safely to ensure they don’t release the gas inside. Some of the precautions include the following;
- Label all the cans properly so that everyone can easily tell that it contains butane
- Equally important, label them to distinguish the cans with gas and their empty counterparts
- Ensure that the canisters stay away from oxidizers, direct heat, sunlight, and flames
- Lock them away or any other trick that will keep them away from children
- Ensure that you store these cans in a well-ventilated place
- Basements and other low-level places aren’t ideal for storing butane
- The place should be cool and dry with a temperature of 50 degrees Celsius, equivalent to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. That’s because high temperatures increase the chances of an explosion
- Unless you are transporting butane cans, avoid keeping them in your car or any other vehicle
- These places should also be indoors
- Ensure that the cans aren’t around any electrical outlet
Importance of Disposing of Butane Cans Properly
Most regulatory bodies, including EPA and OSHA, classify butane among hazardous substances. Therefore, one should be careful when using, storing, and disposing of its canisters.
Otherwise, it could adversely affect one’s safety and the environment. Some of the concerns you handle by disposing of butane right include the following;
- Since the gas is stored under high pressure, the pressure will increase as time goes by, thus posing a great risk to the surrounding
- A spark is enough to ignite a butane can lead to severe industries, property loss, and even death
- Besides fire, the cans could also lead to an explosion
- In addition to humans, improperly handled butane risks the lives of animals and could affect the wildlife population in an area
- Burned butane emits hydrocarbons and carbon dioxide, which will pollute the environment
Conclusion
How to dispose of butane cans should be at your fingertips, especially if you use them. That’s because of the danger butane poses if one doesn’t handle it right.
Fortunately, this article ensures that that’s the case. It leaves no stone unturned regarding disposing of these cans.
It explains how to deal with it when empty and if it has gas. The presence of butane makes the can riskier hence the need to proceed with caution under such circumstances.
It would be sad if something as useful as butane would cause extreme disasters because of your negligence. For that reason, play your part and protect those around you.
Besides disposing of butane cans properly, one should also handle them carefully. Remember the above tips when handling the canisters for obvious reasons.
Since it isn’t hard to dispose of them, ensure that you do it well. Failure to do so could have dire consequences hence the need not to ignore all the precautions.
