Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide, and the safest disposal method is usually to let it turn back into gas outdoors or in a well-ventilated area. Do not put dry ice in a trash can, sealed container, sink, toilet or storm drain.
Photo: Dry ice. Becks (littlemisspurps), 31 January 2015. CC BY 2.0 · Source. Resized for web.
Checked against official guidance: 18 October 2026. Local rules can be stricter, so use the options below as a starting point and confirm with your city or county if you have a large quantity.
How to get rid of dry ice safely
- Keep insulated gloves on while handling it. Dry ice can cause severe cold burns.
- Move it to a well-ventilated outdoor spot away from children and pets.
- Set it on a stable, non-airtight surface or in a container that cannot seal.
- Leave it undisturbed until it has fully sublimated. A small remainder may take several hours; larger blocks take longer.
- Once no solid dry ice remains, reuse or discard the empty packaging according to its material and your local program.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources specifically says to let dry ice sublimate in a safely ventilated area. The agency warns that garbage containers and drains can allow gas pressure to build. The New York State Department of Health also warns that carbon dioxide can accumulate in small, poorly ventilated spaces.
Why the trash can is the wrong place
Dry ice does not melt into a liquid. It changes directly from a solid into carbon dioxide gas. In a closed trash cart, dumpster, compactor or collection vehicle, that gas can collect or increase pressure. A tightly closed bottle, cooler or jar can rupture.
Never leave dry ice to disappear inside a bedroom, vehicle, basement, walk-in cooler or other confined space. You cannot see or smell carbon dioxide. Fresh air is part of the disposal method.
What about the sink or toilet?
Do not put dry ice down a sink, toilet or floor drain. The extreme cold can damage some plumbing, and a restricted drain can trap expanding gas. Hot water is not a safe shortcut: rapid sublimation can create dense vapor and a high concentration of carbon dioxide around the work area.
Can a household hazardous-waste site take it?
Most households do not need a drop-off because controlled sublimation is the normal disposal route. If you have a large shipment, medical-use quantity or dry ice mixed with another regulated material, call your local household hazardous-waste program before traveling. Do not arrive unannounced with an active container.
Dry ice used to keep a specimen or medicine cold may have contacted biological material. In that case, follow the health-care provider’s return or disposal instructions for the packaging and contents. The dry ice itself is not a disinfectant.
Mailing leftovers is not a disposal option
The U.S. Postal Service allows dry ice in domestic mail only as a refrigerant and under specific packaging and marking rules. Its Packaging Instruction 9A requires packaging that releases carbon dioxide rather than trapping pressure. Mailing an unwanted block to someone is neither a household disposal method nor a way around carrier rules.
What this is not
This guide covers clean dry ice from food, medical or shipping use. It does not cover compressed carbon dioxide cylinders, fire extinguishers, industrial gas systems or packages contaminated with infectious or hazardous material. For cylinders, start with the supplier; for a fire extinguisher, use our fire extinguisher disposal guide.
