Disposing unused methanol gel canisters?

Drez

We have a bunch of FANCY HEAT brand methanol gel canisters, most of which seem to have never been used. Despite the brand name, their appearance is pretty blasé and so we don't want to keep them.

I see no disposal instructions on the canisters. My first thought was to light them and throw them at the mouse poop areas in my home (see other thread) but on reflection, that is probably illegal.

Can I just chuck these in the trash as is?

Pantshandshake

I would advise against throwing those in the trash. I would bet they're considered haz-mat. Your town should have some designated days where there do pick ups for that kind of thing, or you can go over to your local dump and ask the guy at the front what to do with them.

bowen

Some locales consider them as hazardous materials, others do not. Call your local environmental waste center/dump and ask for disposal instructions.

You'll probably have to physically go to the dump to get rid of them.

Aioua

Do they look like they won't function any more?

If they were in good repair I'd just set them up in the yard and burn off all the fuel.
Maybe make some smores. Mmmmm methanol smores.

bowen

Yeah these fuel gels are really easy to just set to burn outside and let them wick down to nothing too, didn't even think about that. Then you can just toss them like normal.

see317

If they're still usable, than somebody out there will find a use for them. Toss them in a box on the sidewalk then post something to the "free crap" part of Craigslist for your area.
Or do the s'more thing. Cause s'mores...

Pantshandshake

Pantshandshake was warned for this.

Maybe you need to give something a viking funeral? Any pets die, or odd friends perhaps? You're a small catapult or trebuchet and a boat away from a hell of send off.

(note: human cadavers are also considered haz mat, you can't just burn them. You have to have them cremated first. Yes, I've looked into this.)

JaysonFour

I'd actually second the s'mores opinion. It's actually safe to cook over a gel flame. There's no chemicals or anything that can hurt the food- as long as you don't actively dip the food into the fuel and eat it, you'll be just fine.