The variety of steel can shapes and sizes provides the right package for thousands of nonfood products ranging from paint cans to shoe polish, waxes, aerosol sprays, finishes and lighter fluids. Only the aerosol can provides the variation of propellant pressure and the range of spray patterns and particle sizes that make a multitude of products possible for industrial and consumer use. More than 90 percent of all aerosol cans are made from steel and are completely recyclable when empty after normal use. Aerosols are the package for more than 1,500 different products ranging from lubricants, paints and finishes to personal, medical and household products. Because the aerosol can is hermetically sealed, its products won't leak, spill or evaporate.
Packages are tamper-resistant, and product shelf life is extended.
Many medical and convenience products, such as asthma inhalers and shaving cream, are available to consumers only through aerosol packaging. Controlled dispensing, premixed contents and convenience add up to efficient use of cost-effective products packaged in steel aerosol cans. It is a myth that aerosol products are harmful to the environment. The less than 2 percent of total aerosol products made in the U.S. that do contain some level of CFCs are primarily medical and pharmaceutical items and are classified as essential products by the U.S. government. More importantly, they select steel containers for fire safety.