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Propane Canisters

Original Post
TheBirdman Friedman · · Eldorado Springs, Colorado · Joined Jan 2010 · Points: 65

Is there a decent way to recycle these things? I can't find anything on the internet or anything through Coleman that explains where I can rid myself of these things. REI won't take them, the recycling center won't take them. I'm in Boulder, CO.

chuffnugget · · Bolder, CO · Joined Sep 2011 · Points: 0

Fun as targets with a bit of pressure left, if you are into that sort of thing. I have put them in the recycling anyway, depressurized of course.

You know they are re-fillable right? Adapter is like $20. Fills for pennies off your grill tank.

wivanoff · · Northeast, USA · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 674
David Sahalie wrote:Fun as targets with a bit of pressure left, if you are into that sort of thing. I have put them in the recycling anyway, depressurized of course. You know they are re-fillable right? Adapter is like $20. Fills for pennies off your grill tank.
Yeah, I have one. linky
Tom-onator · · trollfreesociety · Joined Feb 2010 · Points: 790

Birdman,
I take my tin and aluminum cans to the local scrap yard rather than the recycle.
As long as you punch a hole in the cylinder to vent the remaining fuel there shouldn't be an issue.
The materials get recycled and I get a little ca-chang in my wallet.
Scrap is a commodity and any income you make from this is reported to no one.
I was told by the scrapyard owners that it was "between you and your accountant."
I scrap all the old furnaces and water heaters I replace to keep them out of the landfills.

Hiro Protagonist · · Colorado · Joined Apr 2012 · Points: 290

Yes, should be fine at the scrap yard as long as it's actually punctured. Not sure if you can put it in curbside recycling - at the Boulder recycling facility tour (self guided and free).

The original question is how you get rid of the green propane canisters. Well, if you go to anywhere that sells these, you see that you can get green keys which keep the value open to prove that they are safe for recycle.

If you use this thing called Google, you can find interesting things...

coleman.com/recycling/
coloradomountainclub.blogsp…

I recommend avoiding blowing your eyebrows off when attempting to puncture the can.

adamx · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Mar 2013 · Points: 15

x2 on shooting them, though I do like that refill adapter!

Matt Shepard · · Broomfield, CO · Joined Jul 2006 · Points: 386

This is slightly off topic but if you get a smaller version of your standard gas grill tank. (standard grill tank is 20lbs, you can get a 10lbs or a 5lbs) You can have it refiled for usually less then a dollar a pound at any Uhaul, Equipment Rental Place, or etc. The tanks are certified for 20 years I believe so you'll never have something to dispose of or recycle for 20 years.

You can get the tank and the hose to go from the tank to the stove at Home Depot and I believe WalMart. Now you have no need to figure out how to recycle all those cylinders and you're saving money. I find it a little harder to determine when the bigger tank is getting empty so I keep one little green cylinder on hand as a reserve.

Benjamin Chapman · · Small Town, USA · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 18,818

The only place I have ever found to recycle those cylinders was at the Tuolomne Meadows Store, in Yosemite.

highaltitudeflatulentexpulsion · · Colorado · Joined Oct 2012 · Points: 35
Matt Shepard wrote:This is slightly off topic but if you get a smaller version of your standard gas grill tank. (standard grill tank is 20lbs, you can get a 10lbs or a 5lbs) You can have it refiled for usually less then a dollar a pound at any Uhaul, Equipment Rental Place, or etc. The tanks are certified for 20 years I believe so you'll never have something to dispose of or recycle for 20 years. You can get the tank and the hose to go from the tank to the stove at Home Depot and I believe WalMart. Now you have no need to figure out how to recycle all those cylinders and you're saving money. I find it a little harder to determine when the bigger tank is getting empty so I keep one little green cylinder on hand as a reserve.
Matt, I have one of those tanks.

I paid $60 for it empty, compare that to $43 for the big ones full. It lasted 5 years before there was a problem with the safety valve inside that won't let it get filled. I can take it to a propane repair shop but it's probably not worth it.

Overall, it's kinda nice but it's not worth it. Get a big tank for cheaper and if it messes up, get a new one in the exchange. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find places to refill, especially on the road.
ediza blum · · Berkeley, California · Joined Feb 2012 · Points: 25

You can recycle them at most national parks. In yosemite small green trash cans are In every campground just for propane cans.

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203
Matt Shepard wrote:This is slightly off topic but if you get a smaller version of your standard gas grill tank. (standard grill tank is 20lbs, you can get a 10lbs or a 5lbs) You can have it refiled for usually less then a dollar a pound at any Uhaul, Equipment Rental Place, or etc. The tanks are certified for 20 years I believe so you'll never have something to dispose of or recycle for 20 years.
I have one of the small ones that hold a gallon of propane:

campingworld.com/shopping/i…

I keep the tiny ones around for when I forget the small cylinder. As for the 20 year cert. The cylinders can be re-certified and new valves can be put in them (or repaired). I have one cylinder that is some 30 years old. Looks like hell but works fine. I did have to put a new valve in it when the standards changed five years ago or so.
Morgan Patterson · · NH · Joined Oct 2009 · Points: 8,945

sweet! Getting an adapter now!

Thanks pholks!

harpo-the-climber · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Nov 2010 · Points: 300

What brand do u get for the hoses/adapters to connect the small refillable propane tanks to your camping appliances? I bought some at Big 5 but they were bad quality and fell apart (luckily no explosions) so I had to return them.

wivanoff · · Northeast, USA · Joined Mar 2012 · Points: 674
CaptainMo wrote:sweet! Getting an adapter now! Thanks pholks!
1) Chill the 1 lb tank in fridge or freezer for a while.
2) Attach the adapter to your 20 lb tank (left hand threads)
3) Attach the 1 lb tank to the adapter (right hand threads)
4) Turn the 20 lb tank upside down
5) Open the valve for about 3-5 minutes. Setting it on an open Workmate or split top table works really well.
6) Close the valve and right the tanks.
7) Remove the 1 lb tank - there will be a small spurt of propane.

Some people rechill and repeat but I think there's a possibility of overfilling. Dunno.
wankel7 · · Indiana · Joined Oct 2010 · Points: 10

Just use that Coleman dual fuel stove that Burns white gas.

SteveS · · Unknown Hometown · Joined May 2006 · Points: 2,420

Jetboil has a tool that screws onto the top, lets out all the excess gas and has a hole puncher on it. Then you can recycle it wherever and however you'd like.

http://shop.jetboil.com/index.php/crunchit.html

ian watson · · Sandia park, NM · Joined Apr 2010 · Points: 235
wankel7 wrote:Just use that Coleman dual fuel stove that Burns white gas.
I have the lantern model of this and it is awesome, when my colman 2 burner finally dies (maybe never will) I am buing one of the new duel fuels.
Bapgar 1 · · Out of the Loop · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 90

For car camping, I would agree that the bigger bulk tanks are the way to go. Cheaper in the long run.
Camp Chef stoves are becoming more popular and less expensive. Most of their rigs are set up to work off a bulk cylinder anyway, so no conversions needed. Oh and their stoves rock.

And if you want to get all fancy. There are fiberglass cylinders available that you can see through so you don't have to rely on a gauge or try to guess when it's getting low.

Martin le Roux · · Superior, CO · Joined Jul 2003 · Points: 401
TheBirdman wrote:Is there a decent way to recycle these things? ... I'm in Boulder, CO.
Boulder County Hazardous Waste Facility accepts propane canisters under 1 lb. See bouldercounty.org/env/hazwa….
Dobson · · Butte, MT · Joined Oct 2011 · Points: 215
SteveSchultz wrote:Jetboil has a tool that screws onto the top, lets out all the excess gas and has a hole puncher on it. Then you can recycle it wherever and however you'd like. http://shop.jetboil.com/index.php/crunchit.html
Or just stab it with an ice tool. Much more satisfying. :-)
Betty M · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jul 2018 · Points: 0

Two years ago I wrote to REI corporate the following letter:

I am surprised and disappointed that despite REI promoting an image of environmentalism and preservation of the outdoors, that I got so little help from REI regarding disposal/recycling of empty 1 pound propane bottles. Nor does REI sell the refillable 1 pound propane bottles.

I see that REI was one of the sponsors in the development of the propane bottle recycler for Yellowstone National Park. That's great, as far as it goes; but what about having a take-back program at each REI store? And joining with CalRecycle and the California Product Stewardship Council to provide the ReFuel Your Fun flyers and for-sale refillable propane bottles at the California stores? Or at least provide an informational handout in each store giving local resources on safe bottle disposal for recycling? I would be glad to help compose such fliers with local information for the Santa Clara County REI stores.

It seems a shame that for every one pound of propane sold in a "disposable" bottle we are generating 1 pound of steel that appears to be non-recyclable hazardous waste.  My local municipal waste program (San Jose) wants me to personally deliver these empty bottles to their hazardous waste collection site, by appointment! How many people who buy these bottles are going to go to that trouble?

Please let me know what REI can do to remedy this problem. These 1-lb bottles are a bigger waste-stream problem than aerosol cans and cell phones, and almost as big a problem as household batteries and fluorescent lights, without the take-back programs that exist for those items.

Sincerely,
[myfull name] (long-time REI member, with spouse [husband's full name])


I got no reply at all.

Flame King makes a refillable 1lb propane bottle. Sports Basement sells them (full) for $12; REI sells empty ones for $14.95, and will not exchange or refill them.  Sports Basement will exchange an empty for a full one for $2. If you join the SB rewards program ($25 lifetime membership), all the exchanges are free. I am now a Sports Basement customer. Too bad, since I believe in the REI Co-op business model. 

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

General Climbing
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