This includes, but is not limited to, refillable propane tanks and industrial and medical gas cylinders that may have contained gases such as oxygen, acetylene, chlorine, carbon dioxide, etc.
1 lb. Propane Cylinders
Every year in North America, 40 million single-use 1 lb. propane cylinders are used, with over four million in California alone. Because of limited, expensive recycling options, the empty cylinders are often disposed of improperly in landfills, dumpsters, household trash, campsites, on the roadside or in recycling containers. Beginning January 1, 2028, California will require 1 lb. propane cylinders sold in California to be reusable or refillable.
Disposable propane cylinders are also problematic from a safety perspective. In most situations, knowing whether a cylinder is completely empty is impossible. In that case, there is a risk of explosion that could cause injury to personnel and damage to infrastructure. To be safely recycled, each cylinder must be evacuated and punctured using special equipment to ensure they are safely processed. This partly contributes to the exorbitant cost of collecting and recycling these cylinders.
Reusable 1 lb. Propane Cylinders - Exchange & Refill in Riverside County
There are now refillable 1 lb. propane cylinders that work exactly the same as your old one-time use propane cylinders, except they can be refilled for up to 10 years. Too many single-use 1 lb. propane cylinders are ending up in the landfill and littering our natural environments. A simple refill costs approximately $2.25 which is about half the purchase price of a non-refillable cylinder. Purchasing and refilling or exchanging the cylinder four times saves approximately $5.00 compared to purchasing 5 non-refillable cylinders!
Riverside County has made it easy for residents to find and refill cylinders at several local retailers by participating in the ReFuel Your Fun & $ave! (RFYF) Campaign. The ReFuel Your Fun & $ave! Campaign was created by the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC) in collaboration with local government agencies and partners with the goal of reducing the use and improper disposal of single-use 1 lb. propane cylinders. For more information on refillable 1 lb. propane cylinders, check out www.RefuelYourFun.org.
Before embarking on your next adventure, make the sustainable switch to a reusable 1 lb. propane cylinder!
As of 12/06/2024, the following Riverside County retailers are proudly serving as either a refill or exchange location for the reusable 1 lb. propane cylinders:
- U-Haul Of Indio (Refilling) – 83491 US Highway 111 Indio, CA 92201 – (760) 347-8688
- U-Haul At Van Buren (Refilling) – 3600 Van Buren Boulevard Riverside, CA 92503 – (951) 688-7672
- Beaumont Home Center (Exchange) – 1538 E 6th St, Beaumont, CA 92223 – (951) 845-2293
- Nomad Ventures (Exchange) – 54415 N Circle Dr Idyllwild-Pine Cove CA 92549 – (951) 659-4853
To find locations selling, refilling, and/or exchanging reusable 1 lb. propane cylinders outside of Riverside County, please visit the ReFuel Your Fun & $ave! website HERE. We always recommend calling your local retailer before visiting for the most accurate information of goods and/or services.
While adapters and refill kits are sold in the U.S., we do not endorse refilling 1 lb. propane cylinders at home. Refilling is safest when done by a professional.
This Riverside County initiative was funded by a grant from CalRecycle.
