If a spray paint can still has paint or pressure in it, take it to a household hazardous waste site. PaintCare drop-offs don’t take spray paint yet. A truly empty can, with nothing left and no hiss, may go in curbside recycling or the trash, depending on your local rules. Never puncture or burn it.
Is your spray can really empty?
Most of the rules depend on this one question. Sonoma County, California, puts it simply: a can is empty when it is "empty and without pressure." Washington’s Department of Ecology uses a similar test for businesses: the pressure inside is about the same as the air outside, and the contents are sprayed out with little or no product left.
- Use it up on a real project if you can. That is the best way to empty it.
- Outdoors, press the nozzle and point it at a piece of cardboard. If no paint and no gas come out, go on.
- Shake the can. If you hear liquid sloshing, it is not empty.
- If nothing comes out but you still hear liquid, the nozzle is probably clogged. Treat the can as full.
Where each kind of spray can goes
| Condition | Best option | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unused or mostly full | Give it to someone who will use it, or take it to household hazardous waste | PaintCare sites don’t take aerosols |
| Partly full | Household hazardous waste site | Keep the cap on |
| Clogged nozzle | Household hazardous waste site | Treat it as full |
| Dented, rusted or leaking | Household hazardous waste site; call first | Call first and carry it upright |
| Empty: no paint, no hiss | Curbside recycling or trash, depending on your area | Some programs want the cap off; some say it doesn’t matter |
Can you recycle empty spray paint cans?
In many places, yes. In some, no. Local programs give different answers for the same can:
- Sonoma County, California: empty cans without pressure can go in curbside recycling or to drop-off recycling centers. Leave the cap on, or take off both the cap and the spray nozzle.
- Alameda County, California (StopWaste): recycle empty aerosol cans, including paint, as scrap metal with the lids separated.
- Sacramento area, California: recycle empty spray cans through the city or county curbside program.
- Onondaga County, New York (OCRRA): only empty cans that never held household toxics go in recycling. Empty cans that held paint go in the trash.
Why paint stores and PaintCare sites turn spray cans away
PaintCare runs paint drop-off programs in 12 states and DC. Its list of products it doesn’t accept includes "aerosol coatings." So a store that happily takes your wall paint will probably say no to spray cans. Ask before you bring them.
That is starting to change. Three states have passed laws to add spray paint to their PaintCare programs. None of them has started collecting yet.
| State | Law signed | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|
| California | September 29, 2024 (SB 1143) | Spray paint joins the program when a plan is in place or on January 1, 2028, whichever is sooner |
| Vermont | June 11, 2025 (H.484) | PaintCare sent its revised plan to the state on July 1, 2026; waiting for approval |
| Connecticut | June 2, 2026 | Spray paint only; PaintCare’s plan is due July 1, 2028 |
Don’t puncture, crush or burn spray cans
You may have heard that you should punch a hole in a spray can before you recycle it. Don’t. Spray paint is under pressure, and the gas inside is usually flammable. Rust-Oleum’s safety data sheet for its spray paint says "Do not pierce or burn, even after use." It also says not to store cans above 120°F.
Some businesses do puncture cans, but they use commercial puncturing equipment that captures what comes out. That is a business process under hazardous waste rules, not something to copy at home. Recyclers that need cans emptied have their own equipment for it.
How to store and carry spray cans to drop-off
- Keep caps on so the nozzle can’t be pressed by accident.
- Pack cans upright in a box so they can’t roll around.
- Keep them out of hot cars, sunny windows and garages that get very hot.
- Drive straight to the drop-off. Don’t leave cans in the car.
- Keep spray cans in a separate box from your wall paint. They often go to a different place.
- Never leave cans outside a closed site.
Businesses and contractors
Under a rule EPA finalized in December 2019, businesses can manage waste aerosol cans as "universal waste," a simpler set of hazardous waste rules. Not every state has adopted it. Washington, for example, says it has not adopted EPA’s universal waste rule for aerosol cans. Businesses should follow their own state’s rules, not household advice. Our contractor guide covers this.
Checklist
- Sort spray cans away from your wall paint.
- Test each can outdoors: no paint, no gas, no sloshing means empty.
- Look up "aerosol" or "spray can" on your hauler’s recycling list.
- Recycle or trash empty cans the way your hauler says.
- Take full, partly full and clogged cans to household hazardous waste.
- Keep cans cool and capped until drop-off.
Common questions
Can you throw spray paint cans in the trash?
Only when they are completely empty, and only where your local rules allow it. Cans with paint or pressure left are hazardous waste. Check your local rules for empty cans.
Are empty spray paint cans recyclable?
In many areas, yes. Sonoma and Alameda counties in California recycle them. Onondaga County, New York, says empty cans that held paint go in the trash instead. Check your local list.
Should I puncture a spray can before recycling it?
No. Spray paint labels say not to pierce or burn the can, even after use. Puncturing is for businesses with special equipment.
Does Home Depot or Lowe’s take spray paint cans?
Stores that are PaintCare drop-off sites follow PaintCare’s rules, and PaintCare doesn’t take aerosols. Ask the store directly before bringing spray cans.
What do I do with a spray can that won’t spray?
Treat it as full. A clogged nozzle traps paint and pressure. Take it to household hazardous waste.
Does Vermont take spray paint at PaintCare sites now?
Not yet. Vermont passed a law in 2025 adding spray paint, but as of PaintCare’s latest update the plan still needs state approval.
Can I spray out a can just to empty it?
It’s better to use it on a project or give it away. Spraying a full can into the air wastes paint and releases fumes. If you can’t use it, take it to hazardous waste.
Do I take the cap off before recycling?
Follow your program. Alameda County says to separate lids. Sonoma County says either leave the cap on or remove both the cap and nozzle.
Sources
Checked October 7, 2026. Your local drop-off site’s rules come first.
PaintCare: products we accept ↗PaintCare: additional covered products (VT, CA, CT) ↗PaintCare: Vermont law will expand products collected by PaintCare ↗CalRecycle: paint ↗Zero Waste Sonoma: aerosol cans ↗StopWaste (Alameda County): empty aerosol cans ↗OCRRA: aerosol cans with hazardous contents ↗Sacramento Stormwater Quality Partnership: Painting Without Polluting ↗Rust-Oleum: spray paint safety data sheet ↗EPA: universal waste (aerosol cans) ↗Washington Department of Ecology: aerosol cans ↗EPA: household hazardous waste ↗How we research →