PRESS RELEASE

City of Woodland

300 First Street

SINGLE-USE 1 LB. PROPANE CYLINDERS:
Counties and Parks Pay Just as Much to Manage as You Paid to Buy 

(Woodland, California) – As families head out for Memorial Day Weekend and the beginning of summer, the County of Yolo would like to remind campers and tailgaters to “Refuel Your Fun” by using reusable propane canisters instead of disposable types. Read more to see where residents can get a FREE reusable 1 lb. propane cylinder. 

Single-use, disposable, 1 lb. propane gas cylinders are hazardous waste and can be very dangerous if not disposed of properly. These popular canisters are widely used to power a variety of devices including camping stoves, portable heaters, lanterns, portable showers, boat engines, scooters, and lawn care equipment to name a few. 

But what should people do with these “disposable” or single-use 1lb. propane cylinders when they are empty? If you say “trash,” you’d be wrong.

For example, Yosemite National Park staff found so many cylinders in the trash they started a collection program to ensure they are properly managed as hazardous waste. The Joshua Tree National Park disposes over 700 unwanted 1 lb. cylinders per week from the park campgrounds. Watch a short (45 second), educational video featuring an interview with a State Parks Ranger and dangers of mismanaging 1 lb. propane cylinder waste. 

The problem is not limited to parks and campgrounds. Cities and counties also see costs and dangers associated with 1 lb. propane cylinders. In 2015 and again in 2017, the City of Sunnyvale experienced explosions and baler fires likely caused by disposable propane gas cylinders. These types of incidents can injure or kill workers and damage expensive waste processing equipment.

The good news if you live in Yolo County is that it is free and easy to properly dispose of single-use propane cylinders. Yolo County residents may take their empty 1 lb. propane cylinders to the Yolo County Household Hazardous Waste Facility every Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for free disposal.

The average cost of single-use cylinders is $1.99 to $5.99 each, but it costs parks and local government $2 to $15 per cylinder to dispose of these hazardous wastes. Yolo County, working with the Cities of Davis, West Sacramento, Winters, and Woodland received a CalRecycle grant to educate residents on safely handling 1 lb. propane cylinders and considering reusables to save money and reduce hazardous waste. 

Yolo County residents have an opportunity to get a FREE reusable 1 lb. propane cylinder directly mailed to them when they fill out an online questionnaire. To fill out the questionnaire, visit www.surveymonkey.com/r/VMV3PJW. Free cylinders are limited to one per household, while supplies last. 

Remember: “Reduce, reuse, recycle and refill.”

Residents may refill propane tanks at the following participating retailers:

• Chevron, 1601 Research Park Dr, Davis, (530) 750-0799
• Chevron, 999 E Grant Ave, Winters, (530) 795-3271 (Currently closed for renovations)
• U-Haul of West Sacramento, 1750 W Capitol Ave, West Sacramento, (916) 371-6062
• Markley Cove Resort, 7521 HWY 128, Lake Berryessa, (707) 229-1678
• MagneGas Welding Supply, 1590 E Kentucky Ave, Woodland, (530) 666-7997

Refuel Your Fun is looking for additional refill locations. Learn more at www.refuelyourfun.org, or contact us at (916) 702-3420 or email info@calpsc.org. 

This program is funded by a grant from CalRecycle.