Everything you need to know about recycling gas bottles
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Learn more about recycling gas bottles
How to recycle gas bottles
Gas bottles should never be put in garbage or recycling bins. If they are collected by garbage trucks, they can explode when compressed and start fires. Furthermore, gas bottles that are taken to landfills may explode or leak toxic gas.
Gas bottles can be refilled or recycled as scrap metal through specialised services. Businesses and workplaces with large quantities of gas bottles to dispose of can use the directory on this page to find a recycling service in their area.
If you have a small quantity to dispose of, one of the below options may apply:
- Many Community Recycling Centres accept gas bottles - contact your council for advice.
- Many manufactures accept gas bottles for return including BOC / CIG, Matheson, Linde, GasTech, Air Liquide, LAA or Liquid Air cylinders.
- Diving tanks should be returned to the manufacturer via dive centres or re-fillers. If you are unsure if a gas bottle can be returned, contact the manufacturer.
- SWAPnGO run a national gas bottle exchange program through a range of retail outlets including ELGAS, Mitre 10, Bunnings, and Reddy Express. The program allows you swap any brand of gas bottle that is up to 9kg in size for a new one.
- CAC Gas runs a recycling service for calibration gas cylinders. This service is provided through a collection box and courier pick up when the box is full. Fees do apply for this service and no propane BBQ, stove or lamp cylinders are accepted
Why recycle?
Gas bottles and their fittings are generally manufactured from plate steel, a metal that can be effectively recycled over and over again. This can save up to 75 per cent of the energy needed to make steel products from raw materials.
Some gas bottles are also suitable for reuse through refilling. If not possible, gas bottles must always be degassed and devalved before they can be recycled. The potentially hazardous nature of pressurised cylinders makes them a priority to divert from landfill where they may place the health and safety of employees and members of the public at risk, should the cylinder explode or leak poisonous gas when compacted.
What happens to them?
Gas bottles are tested for reuse and if possible refilled by manufactures. Bottles that are damaged, deteriorated, or for other reasons unfit for reuse, are recycled as scrap metal.
Most gas bottles are not safe to be recycled unless they have been degassed, devalved, and may be punctured or in some other way tagged to indicate their ‘gas free’ status.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a gas bottle explode?
Yes – gas bottles can explode if compacted and pose a fire hazard. Therefore, you must never dispose of unwanted gas bottles in your recycling or garbage bin.
Do gas bottles expire?
Yes, gas bottles do expire – the expiration date is 10 years after the start date (which can be found on the collar of the gas bottle). It is very dangerous to refill an expired gas bottle.
If you need to dispose of an expired gas bottle, you can take it a recycling collection point where it will be safely de-gassed before being recycled by a scrap metal recycler.
You can also check with the manufacturer to see if they run a ‘take back’ program for their gas bottles.
