Recycling issue

Since I have been camping alot. I have brought home several (5) empty, small propane containers. I thought they would be easliy recycled, but I might be wrong. :confused:

After calling the "biggest" propane provider in the state of Maine. I was politely told, " you are suppose to leave them beside the fire pit when you leave". I said I would rather attempt to recycle them.
" Well for 10.00 we will dispose of all 5 for you ". Dispose. You mean... you will throw them away. Needless to say I still have them.

Does anyone know where or who I can contact to recycle them? They are not big enough to take to the scrap yard for metal recycling.

we have a guy up here who, for a price, removes construction materials/cleans out houses etc., then separates them and takes it to scrap yards to make a buck. But, if you have something he can sell for scrap he will let you drop it of for free. Maybe if you look for someone in your area that collects junk and cleans out houses he will take them.

Blaine and I started our bike trip using our propane stoves, thinking we were doing a good thing environmentally.....wrong....people who saw us using our stoves would always say...."What are you going to do with the empties. Hope you're not leaving them in the trash barrels or in the dumpsters." Well....duh...we hadn't really thought about that. So had the girls ship out our MSR's. They have refillable containers that use Coleman fuel, gasoline, kerosene, even diesel fuel. This was met with great approval from our fellow bikers and campers. In truth the amount of fuel that is spilled from filling these containers is probably far worse for the environment then non recyclable containers. The really environmental conscious bikers were using those stoves that burn grass, sticks, pine cones, etc,. They have little blower fans that run off battery power. There claim to being the best.

I don't think the campground owners of the places we go to wouldn't really like it if we left our trash laying around the fire pit when we left....

but those lil propane cylinders are also refillable, you can buy a special adapter (from beans, or cabela's) and fill the tanks using a larger tank from a grill.

but i have not yet found a place that wants to take those around here...

T2H, if you still have them next May, you can leave them outside my house during Community cleanup week. I always put my stuff out a couple of days early to give scavengers time to go through and pick out the re-sellables. They'd put those together with all the other scrap metal they're picking up and make some cash from it.

I received an email a couple weeks ago from Coleman.com
Here is a link to their new "Green Key" tool they are coming out with. It should be in the stores this month. I tried getting on their website to go to the actual page but their search function on their site is temporaily out of order at the moment.
Supposedly every propane cylinder sold after June 8th is supposed to come with this green key tool and make your cylinders recyclable. I asked at my local recyling center about taking these and they told me that they need to be brought to a HAZ MAT scheduled recyling day. They were not familiar with this new green key tool by coleman. The next one scheduled where I live is not until October. It sounds as if Coleman is trying to educate recylcing centers.
Anyways this is a quick run down on the new tool. The email I had received had more information in it but maybe once the site is back up and running you can type in Green Key Tool and it will bring you to the other link that was sent to me. Coleman makes it sound as if once you completely empty your cylinder with this tool that the cylinder can then be reclycled as scrap metal...

We'll see.

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Originally Posted by Foxgloves

I received an email a couple weeks ago from Coleman.com
Here is a link to their new "Green Key" tool they are coming out with. It should be in the stores this month. I tried getting on their website to go to the actual page but their search function on their site is temporaily out of order at the moment.
Supposedly every propane cylinder sold after June 8th is supposed to come with this green key tool and make your cylinders recyclable. I asked at my local recyling center about taking these and they told me that they need to be brought to a HAZ MAT scheduled recyling day. They were not familiar with this new green key tool by coleman. The next one scheduled where I live is not until October. It sounds as if Coleman is trying to educate recylcing centers.
Anyways this is a quick run down on the new tool. The email I had received had more information in it but maybe once the site is back up and running you can type in Green Key Tool and it will bring you to the other link that was sent to me. Coleman makes it sound as if once you completely empty your cylinder with this tool that the cylinder can then be reclycled as scrap metal...

We'll see.

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That's similar to the way I have to recycle old tanks of refrigerant, they won't take them if they're empty, but if they are cut in half (to prove they're empty) they'll take them for recycling. So as long as that filling schrader is taken out of the top of the tank, the recycling guys have no reason to not take them.

Coleman site up and running. Thanks for the link Nikki! Interesting stuff.

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

That's similar to the way I have to recycle old tanks of refrigerant, they won't take them if they're empty, but if they are cut in half (to prove they're empty) they'll take them for recycling. So as long as that filling schrader is taken out of the top of the tank, the recycling guys have no reason to not take them.

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Sheesh! You can put a couple of bullet holes in them and then take them to the recycling center, too! LOL! (As long as they can be sure they're empty of propane...)

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Originally Posted by Foxgloves

I received an email a couple weeks ago from Coleman.com
Here [FONT=Book Antiqua][SIZE=3][COLOR=darkred]is a link to their new "Green Key" tool they are coming out with. It should be in the stores this month.

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This is good. I used to supervise a transfer station, and metal recyclers told me that they don't usually worry if there's one of these small tanks in the metal when they crush it. Too small to bother anything if it goes BOOM. But the 29 pound tanks are another thing...

There's a place in Dixmont ,I believe, on route 7, That the guy makes metal statues and tank gongs that sound like the ocean. He might be interested for art projects.
Opalsns

i know another fellow that makes them into piggy banks. he cuts a hole in the top, a hole in the bottom, puts legs on it, and then paints it and calls it art. he was selling them for 15 dollars each. if your good with metal you coould do this too.

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Originally Posted by Opalsns

There's a place in Dixmont ,I believe, on route 7, That the guy makes metal statues and tank gongs that sound like the ocean. He might be interested for art projects.
Opalsns

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Dale Thomas on Rt. 7 in Brooks . . . however I believe he mostly uses longer metal cylinders and not small propane cylinders.

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Originally Posted by hide_from_the_kids

i know another fellow that makes them into piggy banks. he cuts a hole in the top, a hole in the bottom, puts legs on it, and then paints it and calls it art. he was selling them for 15 dollars each. if your good with metal you coould do this too.

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HehHeh . . . maybe it's just me, but I know if I started to cut into a propane cylinder I know that no matter what I had done somehow there would be some residue propane in it and you guys would be hearing about me in the news. ;):D

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Originally Posted by firefighterjake

HehHeh . . . maybe it's just me, but I know if I started to cut into a propane cylinder I know that no matter what I had done somehow there would be some residue propane in it and you guys would be hearing about me in the news. ;):D

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We had a "call" involving an O2 cylinder. The unfortunate person castrated himself and lost a leg when it exploded. (Was making a windchime) Interesting call from my perspective but extremely unfortunate for the individual. I would NEVER recommend cutting into a pressurized cylinder of any type. Like a firearm, ALWAYS assume it's loaded (pressurized and treat it as such). Propane is low pressure but comes with its obvious dangers...;)

The campground I just started working at doesn't recycle them, people just toss them into the dumpster and the rubbish company hauls everything away.

Probably worse than that, no cans or bottles are recycled and there are no containers to do so. We aren't allowed to pick them out and I see more returnable money get tossed away than my minimum part time wage pays me.

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Originally Posted by WhereRWe?

Sheesh! You can put a couple of bullet holes in them and then take them to the recycling center, too! LOL! (As long as they can be sure they're empty of propane...)

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nah, that's more fun to do when they're full... :rolleyes:

I found this on the Maine Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management site.

What Can I Do With My Old Propane Tank?

The valves on gas grill propane cylinders have been redesigned to increase safety. Because of this redesign, you may find yourself with a propane cylinder that can't be refilled. Rather than chuck it out on the back 40 where it can cause environmental contamination, try these options.

1. Call local propane dealers to see if they offer a valve replacement or tank recycling service. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Gas –Propane" for propane dealers near you.
   
   
2. If your local propane dealer won't take them, check with your town office or solid waste facility to find out what arrangements they have for their residents to get rid of old tanks. Towns are working with propane dealers, cylinder recyclers, and scrap metal dealers to get the lowest price possible for getting tanks recycled.

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Originally Posted by Hiram357

nah, that's more fun to do when they're full... :rolleyes:

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Did you see them try that on Mythbusters? They shot several rounds into a full propane tank, but it never exploded. They tried armor piercing rounds, which did puncture the tank which releases a big ball of gas, but no flame. Eventually, they shot a bunch of incendiary rounds from a gatlin gun at it and it finally when up in a huge ball of flame.

But, just for safety's sake, don't try it at home :):)

I am sure there are YouTube videos of it if you search there.

Why dispose of the empty cylinders. Why now just get a tool to refill them. You can buy them in some stores.

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Originally Posted by brdad

Did you see them try that on Mythbusters? They shot several rounds into a full propane tank, but it never exploded. They tried armor piercing rounds, which did puncture the tank which releases a big ball of gas, but no flame. Eventually, they shot a bunch of incendiary rounds from a gatlin gun at it and it finally when up in a huge ball of flame.

But, just for safety's sake, don't try it at home :):)

I am sure there are YouTube videos of it if you search there.

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that's because the mythbuster guys are a bunch of amatuers, you're supposed to put a roadflare next to it to ignite it when it goes poof... sheesh, kids today... :rolleyes::p

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Originally Posted by attroll

Why dispose of the empty cylinders. Why now just get a tool to refill them. You can buy them in some stores.

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Didn't you buy one of those last year? :confused:

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Originally Posted by team moxiepup

I found this on the Maine Bureau of Remediation and Waste Management site.

What Can I Do With My Old Propane Tank?

The valves on gas grill propane cylinders have been redesigned to increase safety. Because of this redesign, you may find yourself with a propane cylinder that can't be refilled. Rather than chuck it out on the back 40 where it can cause environmental contamination, try these options.

1. Call local propane dealers to see if they offer a valve replacement or tank recycling service. Look in the Yellow Pages under "Gas –Propane" for propane dealers near you.
   
   
   
2. If your local propane dealer won't take them, check with your town office or solid waste facility to find out what arrangements they have for their residents to get rid of old tanks. Towns are working with propane dealers, cylinder recyclers, and scrap metal dealers to get the lowest price possible for getting tanks recycled.

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The newer tanks for gas grills, the 20LB variety, have been outfitted with new valves called OPD. Overfill protection device. The old way to fill a tank was to weigh it and fill it up to a certain weight. Great if you can do the math. The new valves prevent you from overfilling the tanks. The liquid is around -45 degrees below zero. I have seen what it does to your skin. Ouch!

I appreciate all of the help here. Thanks! I have not found anyone to recycle the tanks, but have found many who will dispose of them. I will look into refilling them.

I have also found that walmart will take it on the exchange system that they use. But I would check with them.

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Originally Posted by robt

I have also found that walmart will take it on the exchange system that they use. But I would check with them.

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Yes - WalMart works with Blue Rhino. They'll take your old-style tank in exchange for a full tank with the new OPD valve. Blue Rhino takes the old tanks, removes the old valve, recertifies the tank, installs a new valve, fills the tank, and puts it back out in their sales points (i.e., WalMart).

Back when Blue Rhino was expanding, they'd take the old-style tanks for free. Now they'll only accept them as an exchange.

I'm not sure about other places, but where my son works, the container HAS to have that over fill valve on them or he can't fill it .
Opalsns

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Originally Posted by Opalsns

I'm not sure about other places, but where my son works, the container HAS to have that over fill valve on them or he can't fill it .
Opalsns

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The tanks are date coded and it's now a State law, that they cannot be refilled unless they are OPD. The 20LB tanks, older ones, can be recycled through your local town. Probally for a fee. In Windham they charge $10.00, per tank.