Pressurised gas bottles, otherwise referred to as gas cylinders or tanks, should never be put in your garbage or recycling bin at home, as they present a danger and fire hazard when compacted. They cannot be taken to landfills, so they must be disposed of responsibly through a refill or recycling service.
Use the directory to find a recycling service near you, or scroll down for more information.
Warning!
Gas bottles are hazardous waste items and should never be put in your garbage or recycling bin at home. They must be disposed of through a specialised recycling service.
How to dispose of fire extinguishers and gas bottles in NSW
In NSW, fire extinguishers and gas bottles are included under the NSW Household Chemical CleanOut scheme, which is a free service. Only household quantities are accepted through the scheme.
Recycling options for gas bottles
Gas bottles can be refilled many times in their life. There are a number of refill, recycling, and safe disposal services available in Australia, including:
Kwik Gas Cylinder Exchange Service
This is a national cylinder swap service, where you swap your empty cylinder for a new or refurbished filled one. Retail locations are across Australia in selected service stations such as Quix, Caltex, Mobil, Shell and BP outlets, Bunnings Warehouse and others including caravan parks and convenience stores.
Swap'n'Go
Swap any Large, Medium or Camper BBQ Gas Bottle at your local centre. Located at participating Caltex, Mobil, BP, Shell, Kennards Hire, Mitre10 and BOC outlets.
BOC / CIG, Matheson, Linde, GasTech, Air Liquide, LAA or Liquid Air cylinders should be returned to the manufacturer so that no further rental will be charged to the customer.
Diving tanks should be returned to the manufacturer, most likely via dive centres or re-fillers.
Household type gas bottles (e.g. LPG, fire extinguishers, CFC, small-size industrial bottles) may be accepted in household chemical collections in your area.
Information about the manufacturer should be marked on the bottle. Gas bottles without any identifiable markings should be returned to the original source/agent. Re-fillers may be able to provide further information.
Why should I recycle my gas bottle?
As gas bottles are hazardous waste items, they must be disposed of responsibly. They cannot be disposed of through household recycling or garbage bins, or by dropping them off at the tip.
By recycling your gas bottle through one of the services provided on this page, you will ensure the metal used to make the bottle is used again which reduces our need for mining new resources. You will also ensure the bottle is safely degassed and dealt with responsibly by professionals.
What happens to the gas bottle when I recycle it?
Gas bottles/cylinders and their fittings come in a range of sizes and are generally manufactured using plate steel. All bottles will be degassed and then, depending on the condition of the bottle, it will either be refilled for reuse or it will be recycled as scrap metal1.
