Victor Valley residents can pick up a free reusable propane cylinder on May 14th

VICTORVILLE, Calif. (VVNG.com) – High Desert residents can pick up a FREE reusable/refillable 1 lb. propane cylinder at the City of Victorville Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center (HHWCC) on Saturday, May 14 from 8 AM – 12 PM, while supplies last. 

The City of Victorville HHWCC is located on Loves Lane, off of Desert Knoll Drive, behind the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds. 

To receive a free reusable propane cylinder, residents can bring an empty single-use 1 lb. propane cylinder(s) for disposal OR they can simply sign a pledge to no longer use disposable single-use cylinders.  (Note:  No other household hazardous waste products will be accepted for disposal during this special event:  only 1 lb. propane cylinders will be accepted.)

This event is being sponsored by the Mojave Desert & Mountain Recycling Authority, in cooperation with the City of Victorville and the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC).  Funding for this event is being provided through a grant from CalRecycle, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery. 

There is a limit of one free reusable cylinder per household.  For more information about this event, please call the City of Victorville Environmental Programs Division at 760-955-8615. 

Additional Background Information:  As families gear up for the 2022 camping season, the Mojave Desert and Mountain Recycling Authority is reminding campers and tailgaters to “Refuel Your Fun” by using reusable propane canisters instead of disposable types. 

One-pound propane gas cylinders are widely used to power a variety of devices including camping stoves, portable heaters, lanterns, portable showers, boat engines, scooters, and lawn care equipment.  Although they are convenient for consumers, the single-use cylinders cause problems when it is time to dispose of them.  Single-use disposable propane cylinders should be taken to a local household hazardous waste collection center for proper, safe disposal.  (Some parks and campgrounds have also set up separate collection bins for propane cylinders.)  However, many single-use propane cylinders are improperly put in trash or recycling bins.  This can cause fires or explosions if they are crushed or compacted in collection vehicles or at recycling centers.

Even when the cylinders are properly disposed of at a household hazardous waste center, however, they are very costly to handle, usually costing from $2-$15 per container to transport, recover any left over gas, and finally recycle the cylinder for scrap metal.  Local governments and parks end up paying these disposal costs. 

Locally, Joshua Tree National Park disposes of over 700 unwanted 1 lb. cylinders each week from the park campgrounds, costing thousands of dollars to dispose of.   The Victor Valley Materials Recovery Facility, which serves High Desert and San Bernardino Mountain residents, has seen baler fires likely caused by exploding canisters. 

Single-use 1 lb. propane cylinders should not be refilled, as regulated by the US Department of Transportation to prevent fire hazards. Watch their safety video to learn more about the dangers of refilling non-refillable propane cylinders.

Victor Valley residents may dispose of unwanted 1 lb. propane cylinders for free at the City of Victorville HHWCC on Loves Lane, behind the County Fairgrounds during their regular hours of Wednesdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Additional household hazardous waste collection centers are available in Apple Valley and Hesperia.  Call San Bernardino County Fire at 1-800-645-9228 for more information on hours and locations of other household hazardous waste centers.

The Mojave Desert and Mountain Recycling Authority, working with the Refuel Your Fun Campaign, received a CalRecycle grant to educate residents on safely handling 1 lb. propane cylinders and the benefits of reusables to save money and reduce hazardous waste. Watch this short (45 second), educational video featuring an interview with a State Parks Ranger and the dangers of mismanaging 1 lb. propane cylinder waste.

By switching to reusable, refillable 1 lb. propane cylinders, residents can save money, reduce waste, reduce disposal costs, and save resources.  There are a number of locations in the High Desert to refill or exchange reusable 1 lb. propane cylinders, including the U-Haul at 14598 Palmdale Road in Victorville (refill), U-Haul in Barstow, Vagabond Welding in Yucca Valley (refill), and the Mobil Station in 29 Palms (exchange).  For a full list of locations and addresses that can refill or exchange 1 lb. propane cylinders, go to www.refuelyourfun.org, or contact Info@calpsc.org

Refuel Your Fun is in the process of signing up additional propane cylinder refill locations.  Retailers that would like more about participating in the program should contact CPSC atInfo@calpsc.org.

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