Maybe you've been there, trying to twist and turn a plastic gas can just right so it doesn't leak or spill everywhere as you fill your vehicle's tank or lawnmower. You're not the only one.
A Redditor shared this common and frustrating experience earlier this year, and scores of people sympathized. Luckily, they also provided a solution.
"If you've bought a gas can since 2009 or so, you have these or some variation of these awful safety spouts," the poster wrote, adding two photos. "I don't know about anyone else but I've spilled way more gas trying to use these things than I ever did with the old style free flow ones."
They described the problems they've gone through during regular use and storage, including difficulty of use and the unwanted creation of a gas bomb that morphed into a bowling ball.
"These things are useless," one user agreed.
Their fix was a $17 kit purchased online that included all the parts needed to retrofit six cans: flexible spouts, screw-on spout caps, vents, vent caps, gaskets, "and even a drill bit to install the vent."
Thankfully, it was a cheap and quick resolution, though it's aggravating that it had to come to that. Poor product design contributes to the excess waste that is choking our lives and leads to unnecessary resource depletion in the form of manufacturing replacement items or parts.
One commenter pointed out that the faulty cans were the result of environmental regulations gone wrong, as the Environmental Protection Agency was trying to limit gas fumes escaping into the atmosphere and then a secondary safety measure added a feature that made pouring gas out of the cans even more difficult.
No one argued for the further pollution of Earth, which is leading to rising temperatures and making extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, droughts, and wildfires more frequent and more severe. But if a law creates more problems than it solves, it is obviously a negative.
Maybe the lesson we can take away is that we should consider alternatives to engines that run on gasoline, including battery-powered electric vehicles and lawn equipment. EVs especially may require an initial outlay that's more expensive than customary options, but they will save you money in the long run and contribute to the green transition that is set to ensure a gas vapor-free future for everyone.
If you're not ready to give up your gas mower, trimmer, and blower just yet, try using them less often. One way to do so is by supplanting your traditional turf grass lawn with a natural alternative such as clover, which will not need as much maintenance, water, fertilizers, or pesticides — adding up to even more wins for you and the planet.
Especially when weighed against the cons of "these ridiculous gas cans," as the poster called them, the choice is clear.
"Fun fact: my friend and I did an experiment, we filled one 5 gallon version of these with water and emptied it how I'd fill my tank up on a long trip through nowhere (or California)," one Redditor said. "Wanna know how much it leaked? 1 1/2 cups. That's 1 1/2 cups of f****** gasoline being wasted and dumped into the environment. These things are absolutely hot garbage."
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
