Boulder County’s Resource Conservation Division is encouraging Boulder County residents to properly recycle used bear spray canisters. On Wednesday, the department posted on Instagram explaining the safety concerns of improperly recycling bear spray containers and provided instructions for proper disposal.
“Surprisingly, the Boulder County Recycling Center sees a lot of bear spray come through, but bear spray is not recyclable in your single-stream recycling bin, even if it's empty,” the division wrote. “There have been times when bear spray cans got punctured in the machinery, forcing workers to evacuate. This is a huge safety concern and one that can be avoided.”
The department instructed residents to bring used bear spray canisters to the Boulder County Hazardous Materials Management Facility (HMMF) so it can be properly recycled. The facility is open Wednesday through Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is located at 1901 63rd Street in Boulder. It is free to dispose of materials at the facility for Boulder County, Broomfield County, and Town of Erie residents.
The county’s website for the HMMF explains more about the proper use, storage, transportation, and disposal of other hazardous materials. More information about recreating in bear habitats in Boulder is available on the City of Boulder's website.
