20-pound grill tanks: exchange or recycle
Tank exchange cages at grocery stores, hardware stores and gas stations swap an empty grill tank for a full one, and King County points residents to the Blue Rhino and AmeriGas exchange networks. If you no longer need a tank at all, Blue Rhino accepts 20-pound tanks for recycling at no cost: write 'R' or 'RECYCLE' on the tank and take it to any non-vending Blue Rhino location, or another location if the display there is full. Blue Rhino refurbishes tanks that meet its safety and quality standards and recycles the rest.
Old and out-of-date tanks
Small propane cylinders have to be requalified periodically under federal hazardous materials rules (49 CFR 180.209), and under 49 CFR 180.205 no cylinder may be filled and offered for transportation unless it has been requalified and marked. A cylinder that is past its requalification date can therefore be turned away for refilling until it is requalified, which is one reason exchange or recycling is often simpler for an old grill tank.
Older tanks without an overfill prevention device (OPD) valve are another dead end for refilling. Mississippi's Department of Environmental Quality, for example, advises taking empty tanks where they can be refilled if they have an OPD installed, or buying a new full tank instead. Exchange programs and HHW facilities are the places to leave the old one.
1-pound camping cylinders and other small tanks
Small green camping cylinders are sold as single-use, but they still do not belong in the trash or the recycling cart. Take them to a household hazardous waste facility or collection event. King County's hazardous waste sites, for example, accept propane containers of 8 gallons or smaller, with a limit of five tanks per trip. Other HHW programs set their own size and number limits, so check before you go.
Collect empty camping cylinders in a ventilated spot outdoors through the season and take them in together; one HHW trip in the fall is easier than several small ones. Keep them with the valve end up and away from heat while they wait.
Large tanks: call the supplier
Tanks bigger than 8 gallons, such as 100-pound cylinders and the large tanks used for home heating, may be too big for an HHW drop-off. King County's hazardous waste sites take nothing over 8 gallons, and the county advises returning tanks over 8 gallons to the manufacturer or to a Blue Rhino location. For a large tank, call the propane company whose name is on the tank or the dealer who fills it and ask about pickup.
Storing and transporting tanks safely
Until the day you drop a tank off, follow the storage advice King County gives residents, and handle the tank as if it still holds gas.
- Store tanks upright, outdoors, in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place out of direct sunlight.
- Close the valve fully before moving a tank, even if you think it is empty.
- Transport tanks upright and secured so they cannot roll, and go straight to the drop-off.
- Do not puncture a tank, remove the valve or try to vent it yourself.
- Mark tanks you are recycling at a Blue Rhino exchange with 'R' or 'RECYCLE'.
- Check the HHW site's limits on tank size and number before you go.