Where is a "safe place" to dispose of 14 oz. propane tanks?

Where is a "safe place" to dispose of small, 14 oz. propane tanks?

The web is no help.

Reply to
mm
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mm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

How about starting with some recycling places in your town. Are the tanks still full?

Reply to
TD

Check with your waste hauler or county waste management dept.

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If empty looks like they go in the trash but better check .......

If not empty, use them up first.

cheers Bob

Reply to
BobK207

In the last year, I went to the two remaining county recycling places

-- usually go to the third one -- and I noted that one place takes flammable liquids and the other takes batteries, but I didn't see any reference to these.

No. They're as empty as I can get them. I'm going to answer BobK directly.

Reply to
mm

I;ve read their 12-page booklet more than once, but I guess I can find it and look again. (The booklet is not where it should be. That's unusual.)

These are great pages. They must have been way down the list or I used the wrong search terms. Thanks

When I told TD they were as empty as I could get them, I meant they are empty. There is still a slight aroma when the head is on and open, but they're empty.

I have never had a problem with propane, but as I might have said once, my MAPP tank of the same size sometimes stops providing gas to the torch, sometimes suddenly, and then might work again later, like if I take the head off of it and let it sit for a day. Five minutes is not enough. I'll still manage to empty the thing, I'm sure.

I've thrown empty ones away in the past I guess, but the older I get, the more "responsible" I seem to try to be.

Thanks to both of you.

Reply to
mm

Empty? In the trashcan.

Reply to
Ron

Local rules probably vary. I disposed of an empty 5 gal. propane tank having trash collector take it in normal trash pickup. A friend had a tank supplier in our area charge him a hazardous waste fee to trade in his tank. Guess he was gypped.

Reply to
Frank

These empty Propane tanks differ from an empty hair spray can in what respect?

Reply to
HeyBub

I called our city about getting rid of propane tanks for gas grill. Our city has a lot of recycling programs, but don't take propane tanks. City said that Walmart and Lowes take empties. Perhaps they take your smaller ones as well. Or perhaps a welding shop knows what to do.

Reply to
Norminn

The LPG cans are stronger. If they are heated, the eventual explosion is likely to be more intense.

Reply to
John Gilmer

The trash.

Unless it is a very OLD cylinder, contemporary disposal instructions should be on a label on the tank. Still, if it is "completely" empty, there is no good reason to not place it into the general waste stream.

It is virtually inert and of small enough capacity that any remaining gas is of no concern. It will eventually rust away underground. In a modern landfill, this would cause NO problem.

Recycling of this type of container is not recommended or allowed (I believe) due to the possibility of residual gas.

Reply to
Jim Redelfs

Return them to a store that has one of those "Rhino" ( or other brand ) propane replacement cages outside. In my town, they have them at beer stores, supermarkets, and quick stop stores, among others. Get new approved OPD full tanks for your old tanks.

Reply to
willshak

OP is talking about the disposable small cylinders, like for a soldering torch, not the refillable big ones for a grill. Like everyone else says, if they are empty, just trash them.

aem sends...

Reply to
aemeijers

What a great idea! You mean I can take my empty soldering torch bottles in and they will trade them for propane tanks for a grill? Sweet! Have you done this yourself?

Reply to
Robert Allison

I agree. If the OP is still concerned, he can always call his local City Hall. They are generally VERY responsive and helpful when it comes to "How do I properly dispose of..." questions. In some cities, they might refer you to a utility company but they're typically just as helpful on these matters.

Every time I've called in one of those questions I have received instructions that were legal, safe, responsible, and totally satisfactory to me in terms of cost/convenience.

Most cities and utility companies are pretty darn good at this stuff.

Reply to
Malcolm Hoar

I'm not sure why you say "the web is no help".

A Google search returned many hits regarding the disposal of propane tanks. The vast majority of the hits differentiate the disposal of tanks larger than 2 pounds vs. the disposable "Coleman" size.

These words, stolen without permission from

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seem to be pretty consistant with what I found at other sites:

Butane and propane tanks

Proper disposal Empty gas canisters less than two pounds (such as the small Coleman camping canisters) may be placed in the garbage. Larger canisters, up to five gallons (barbecue size), either empty or containing gas need to be taken to one of the household hazardous waste facilities. For approval of tanks larger than five gallons in (barbecue) size, call the Household Hazards Line at 206-296-4692 for more information.

Reply to
DerbyDad03

Shoot a hole in them and then put them out in the trash. Those guys don't look at what's in the bags.

Steve

Reply to
SteveB

I don't think hair spray has a label on it "Dispose of in a safe place". That's the only thing that made me start thinking about it. I don't have any hairspray, but I have a can of Scotchguard nearby. It says Do not puncture or incinerate. Even though the trash truck could puncture it when it compresses the trash, I think it's designed so the odds are pretty low. I'm very literal, and it's only the propane tat says "in a safe place". :)

Reply to
mm

All it says is "When cylinder is empty, discard in safe place" I guess I understand why they don't say what a safe place is, because different places have different rules, but on the surface it sounds stupid to give no more details than safe. Take it to the police? The fire department? The bank? A safe deposit box? :)

It's pretty old. It's BernzOmatic and it's black, but I don't think that says how old it is. It's model TX-9, but I'll bet that's still the model number. It's CAS No. 74-98-6 UN-1075

Actually I saw a device somewhere, a hose with connectors at the ends, that enables one to re"fill" it from the 20 pound tank. I don't know if this is UL or otherwise approved, and I can't get my head around whether it would have as much propane inside as a new can would, or how much less.

Reply to
mm

Now where did I put my gun? The kids must have it. They never put things back where they're supposed to be.

Thanks for all the answers. This was a better question than I thought it was.

Reply to
mm

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