Free reusable propane cylinder giveaway on Saturday
High Desert residents can pick up a free reusable/refillable propane cylinder at the City of Victorville Household Hazardous Waste Collection Center on Saturday.
Cylinder pick-up time is 8 a.m to noon on Saturday and while supplies last at the collection center located on Loves Lane, off of Desert Knoll Drive, and between Seventh Street and the San Bernardino County Fairgrounds in Victorville.
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.
No other household hazardous waste products will be accepted for disposal during this special event.
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.
The free 1-pound cylinder giveaway event is sponsored by the Mojave Desert & Mountain Recycling Authority, in cooperation with the City of Victorville and the California Product Stewardship Council.
Funding for this event is being provided through a grant from CalRecycle, the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery.
Disposable cylinder danger
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, 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.
Many single-use propane cylinders are improperly put into trash or recycling bins, which can potentially cause fires or explosions if crushed or compacted in collection vehicles or at recycling centers.
When cylinders are properly disposed of at a household hazardous waste center, they are very costly to handle, usually $2 to $15 per container to transport, recover leftover gas, and finally recycle the cylinder for scrap metal. Local governments and parks end up paying these disposal costs.
Joshua Tree National Park disposes of over 700 unwanted 1-pound cylinders each week from its campgrounds, which cost the park thousands of dollars.
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-pound propane cylinders should not be refilled, as regulated by the US Department of Transportation to prevent fire hazards.
Victor Valley residents may dispose of unwanted 1 lb. propane cylinders for free from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Sundays at the city’s collection center near the fairgrounds.
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 the hours and locations of other household hazardous waste centers.
There are several locations in the High Desert to refill or exchange reusable 1-pound 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-pound propane cylinders, visit refuelyourfun.org, or contact Info@calpsc.org
The Mojave Desert and Mountain Recycling Authority is a joint powers authority and includes nine member agencies, who share the authority to plan and implement recycling, composting, reuse and zero waste programs in the High Desert area.
The JPA is composed of board representatives from Adelanto, Apple Valley, Barstow, Big Bear Lake, Needles, San Bernardino County, Twentynine Palms, Victorville, and Yucca Valley. For more information, visit URecycle.org.
Daily Press reporter Rene Ray De La Cruz may be reached at 760-951-6227 or RDeLaCruz@VVDailyPress.com. Follow him on Twitter @DP_ReneDeLaCruz
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Free reusable propane cylinder giveaway on Saturday
