How do you get rid of gas bottles?

Disposing of a gas cylinder correctly is extremely important, particularly in today’s climate of environmental awareness and advocacy. Correct disposal reduces your company’s environmental footprint which reduces liability, improves public relations, and helps you stay in compliance with any of your customers’ requirements for their suppliers and contractors.

You can dispose of gas cylinders by doing the following:

1. Check if your state classifies cylinders as hazardous waste
2. Locate an appropriate recycling facility in your area
3. Confirm each cylinder's readiness for disposal
4. Contact facility to arrange drop-off or pickup of cylinders

Video of cylinder disposal at an EPA site:

Before disposing of any cylinder, familiarize yourself with any applicable state laws. Three important questions should also be asked when determining how to dispose of a cylinder:

• Does the cylinder contain hazardous materials?
• Is there any remaining pressure in the cylinder?
• If empty, could the cylinder contain toxic residue?

Compressed gas cylinders should not be placed in regular trash or recycling dumpsters, unless explicitly instructed by the county or city authorities.

Gas Recycling

Some organizations and facilities are able to recycle any unused gases present in a cylinder, if you have a partially full container that is no longer needed.

Cylinders are considered to be empty of gases when they are at or near atmospheric pressure.

Cylinder Recycling

In some states, empty cylinders can be recycled with other scrap metal. Many recycling facilities require that the valve be removed and the cylinder cut in half before they will accept it. The valve is removed by placing the cylinder in a vise and using a special tool (and some force) to completely detach it from the cylinder. Other facilities require that the cylinder be punctured before disposal.

In other states, cylinders are classified as hazardous waste. In this case, an environmental consultant can be hired to handle the proper disposal of the cylinders. You may also have a facility in your area that is equipped to handle commercial hazardous wastes. Searching for your area’s household hazardous materials disposal via the city or county may be a good place to get information on commercial disposal of hazardous waste. Your cylinder supplier may also be able to provide you with information on disposal facilities in your area.

Disposal of Unidentified Cylinders and Damaged Cylinders

Compressed gas cylinders with unknown contents can post a great risk to employees and the environment if not handled with care. Cylinders with unknown contents should be handled and disposed of as though they contained the most hazardous of the gases available at your location. Some disposal facilities have the ability to identify and safely dispose of unidentified cylinders and their contents.

Cylinders that are leaking or that have damaged valves or other damaged parts will often not be accepted for disposal by typical facilities. In fact, cylinders with damaged valves often cannot legally be shipped. In the case of a damaged valve or leaking cylinder, a supplier or disposal facility should be contacted to safely transfer the contents of the cylinder.

Sources

• SET Environmental
• Safety and Health Magazine
• Cylinder Recyclers
• Dept. of Toxic Substances Control of California

BBQ Gas Bottle Disposal – Where to Dispose of Gas Cylinders – Old Gas Bottles Disposal for Gas Bottle Recycling – Free Gas Bottle Disposal- LPG Gas Tank Disposal

Gas Bottle Disposal – Gas Bottle Recycling – Old Gas Bottles Disposal – Where to Dispose of Gas Cylinders

Caution on Where to Dispose of Gas Cylinders – Gas Cylinder Disposal

Gas bottles that can no longer be safely refilled can go to gas bottle recycling. Recycling the steel and brass saves energy versus producing the metals from raw materials. Gas cylinder disposal should never be mixed in general waste or metal recycling bins. Gas bottle disposal and gas bottle recycling need to be done safely.

Do not dispose of gas cylinders in general mixed waste or metal recycling bins. Knowing where not to do gas bottle disposal is just as important as knowing where to dispose of gas cylinders.

Careless gas bottle disposal can cause a safety hazard for the landfill and gas bottle recycling workers. Compacting or crushing a disposed gas cylinders may result in fire or explosion.

Gas Bottle Disposal

Some local councils allow gas bottle disposal at household waste recycling centres. Please check with centre staff regarding the proper location for safe storage of gas bottle disposals prior to gas bottle recycling.

As a free community service, Elgas accepts 9kg and 4kg gas bottle disposal for safe gas bottle recycling.  (See free gas bottle disposal details below) We safely remove any traces of gas, remove the valves and then either refurbish the gas bottle or put a big puncture in the gas bottle disposal for gas bottle recycling.

Gas bottle disposals do not have to be old gas bottles. Some people find that they just don’t need their gas bottles any longer and require gas bottle disposal. These bottles will be inspected and refurbished, avoiding disposal and recycling.

Old Gas Bottles Disposal

Old gas bottles disposal is more typical, with damaged, rusted or out-of-date gas bottles. Old gas bottles disposal must never be put in general waste or metal recycling bins. Old gas bottles disposal and gas bottle recycling needs to be done safely.

Old gas bottles that are damaged, perished in any way, or unsuitable for refilling for any reason, are condemned and recycled for scrap. Before they can be scrapped and recycled, old gas bottles must be degassed, have the valves removed and punctured to indicated their safe status for recycling.

With the big puncture in the old gas bottle, the metal gas bottle recycling workers know that the gas bottles are safely decommissioned and gas-free.

SWAP’n’GO Helps Avoid Gas Bottle Disposal – LPG Gas Tank Disposal

If the gas bottle is out of date and you decide to dispose of the gas bottle instead of the expense for re-testing, take it to SWAP’n’GO®

instead. SWAP’n’GO accepts out-of-date gas bottles at no extra charge, so you can completely avoid gas bottle disposal.

Free Old Gas Bottles Disposal for 9kg or 4kg Gas Bottles – Dispose of Gas Cylinders Free

We offer free old gas bottle disposal (dispose of gas cylinders free) so you can safely dispose of 9kg or 4kg gas cylinders for gas bottle recycling at no expense. Just take your 9kg or 4kg gas bottles to your nearest Elgas branch or depot.

Please note that this is for 9kg and 4kg gas bottles only.  Other sizes are not eligible.

We will safely handle your gas bottle disposal for you and ensure gas bottle recycling. Once again, this is a free 9kg or 4kg gas bottle disposal service.

If you would like to dispose of your 9kg or 4kg gas bottle for gas bottle recycling, just contact Elgas on 1300 652 003.

We will direct you to your nearest Elgas branch or depot, where you can drop off your old gas bottle for gas bottle recycling.

Find the Elgas Branch Nearest You

Gas Bottle Recycling of Gas Bottle Disposals

Gas bottle recycling can involve refurbishment or safe disassembly with recycling of the component parts. If the gas bottle disposal can be refurbished, we do, because actual gas bottle reuse is even better than gas bottle recycling.

For gas bottle refurbishment, we shot blast the gas bottle to bare metal to remove all of the paint and any rust. We then apply a coat of primer, a fresh top coat and a new valve on the disposed gas cylinder, so it can be re-used.

If a gas bottle disposal must be condemned, we disassemble it, put a big puncture in it and then recyle the steel body and the brass valve for full gas bottle recycling.

Either way, the gas bottle recycling is virtually complete, with only the small labels going to scrap.

Gas Bottle Disposal Information for Councils & Tip Operators

We are also happy to help the community by accepting 9kg and 4kg gas bottle disposal (gas cylinder disposal) from local councils and tips at no charge. These old gas bottle disposals will also undergo gas bottle recycling.

However, only certain branches accept large volume deliveries of gas bottle disposals.

Conditions apply so please contact us for more information.

Please also note that this 9kg and 4kg gas bottle disposal and gas bottle recycling service is provided only through Elgas company owned locations and is not available through Elgas dealers or distributors.

Please see our SWAP’n’GO FAQ page for even more gas bottle information including out-of-date gas bottle, gas bottle disposal, gas bottle recycling and much more.

Please see our BBQ Gas Bottle Sizes page for 4kg & 9kg gas bottle size information.

Removalists & Moving or Storing BBQ Gas Bottles

So, you are moving a long distance or putting your home contents in temporary storage and the removalist or storage company won’t take your BBQ gas bottle, full or empty.

What can you do?

The Problem with Moving a BBQ Gas Bottle

Removalists are happy to move your BBQ but most will not move your BBQ gas bottle.

This is because removalists’ trucks and shipping containers are enclosed spaces and the temperature inside can get quite high.

Both of these facts make taking gas bottles, in a shipping container or truck, an unsafe practice.

Even if your gas bottle is now empty, it must be treated as “full” according to Australian safety standards.

Storage facilities would have a similar ban on the enclosed storage of gas bottles.

The Simple Solution

SWAP’n’GO® offers a mover’s transfer service, with which you can to take your BBQ gas bottle to your nearest Elgas branch and reclaim another one at the Elgas branch nearest to your destination.

When you leave your bottle, at the Elgas branch, you receive a receipt confirmation letter to take with you.

This letter confirms that you left a gas bottle with us and has the contact details for our branch nearest to your destination, where you will collect another gas bottle.

Once you have relocated, or your contents come out of storage, you can collect a full gas bottle of the same size for the price of a normal swap.

There are no additional charges for this service.

If you are just putting your home contents into storage, but staying in the same city, you can also drop off and pick up at the same Elgas branch.

This service is only available through Elgas owned branches.

Retail outlets, such as service stations, do not participate in this offer.

The gas bottle must also be either an 8.5-9kg or a 3.7-4kg gas bottle and meet the normal swap safety standards.

Please contact SWAP’n’GO on 131 161 for more information or to arrange for this service.

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