Gas cylinders can be dangerous when disposed of improperly. Even small amounts of residual gas can cause explosions and fires; metal recyclers typically refuse canisters unless they are visibly punctured and crushed. Because of this, gas cylinders are often discarded as litter or tossed in the trash, even though many can be refilled or recycled. Programs set up voluntarily by manufacturers can help, but they don’t fully solve the problem.
How can we better manage gas cylinders to protect people and the environment? Extended producer responsibility. PSI advocates for EPR laws that require gas cylinder manufacturers to fund programs for refilling and recycling gas cylinders, which relieves governments and taxpayers from the burden of cleaning up improperly discarded gas cylinders.
In 2003, PSI developed a legislative model for gas cylinder EPR legislation with input from industry and state and local governments; in 2020, we led a multi-stakeholder dialogue meeting with the Connecticut Product Stewardship Council, local and state governments, nonprofits, recyclers, and gas cylinders manufacturers that led to the passage of a first-in-the-nation gas cylinder EPR law in Connecticut. California passed legislation in 2022 that would have banned the sale of some single-use disposable gas cylinders, but it was vetoed; Governor Gavin Newsom noted that a ban without a strategy in place for collection and refill infrastructure could inhibit the development of a successful circular system, and mentioned EPR as an alternative solution.
EPR programs like these incentivize the design of more sustainable products and build supply chains for those made with recycled materials, which are the building blocks of an emerging circular economy that protects our environment and builds a better future.
What can you do? If your state has not yet enacted a law, tell your representatives that you support gas cylinders EPR legislation. Then, learn where to recycle or safely dispose of gas cylinders in your community.
If you’re a PSI Member or Partner, search our Resource Library for information on gas cylinder stewardship in the United States and around the world and our Legislation Library for a history of gas cylinder EPR bills and laws in the U.S.