Unemptied aerosol canister explodes and causes fire in recycling plant

A waste company has given a stark warning about the risks of unemptied aerosol canisters in recycling centres after one exploded and caused a small fire.

CCTV footage from the recycling sorting centre in Calne, Wiltshire, shows the moment of the incident on 23 December 2022.

“Only completely empty aerosol cans should be put in the blue-lidded recycling bin so please check before disposing of them,” Hills Waste Solutions, which run the facility, said.

“To make sure an aerosol can is fully empty, simply depress the nozzle until no more air or propellant can be heard escaping.”

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