It can cost up to $65 for a jurisdiction to deal with one single-use propane cylinder that was disposed of improperly.
“These things have exploded. … They split open,” said Nate Pelzcar of the California Public Stewardship Council. “We saw these issues arising, and they’ve gotten nothing but worse.”
The cylinders he’s referring to are typically a forest green 1-pound metal canister, sold under brands like Coleman and Benzomatic. They fit and fuel camp stoves and gas lanterns and are meant to be used up and tossed. But most people don’t trash them correctly, Pelzcar said, which can be dangerous.
It can cost up to $65 for a jurisdiction to deal with one single-use propane cylinder that was disposed of improperly.
“These things have exploded. … They split open,” said Nate Pelzcar of the California Public Stewardship Council. “We saw these issues arising, and they’ve gotten nothing but worse.”
The cylinders he’s referring to are typically a forest green 1-pound metal canister, sold under brands like Coleman and Benzomatic. They fit and fuel camp stoves and gas lanterns and are meant to be used up and tossed. But most people don’t trash them correctly, Pelzcar said, which can be dangerous.
“It’s almost impossible to get all that gas out,” he said. “The proper way to get rid of those, as it always has been for products like this, … is to take those unwanted cylinders to those hazardous waste processing facilities.”
More than 4 million single-use propane cans are purchased annually in California, according to the Stewardship Council, a nonprofit that works to write and pass legislation and ordinances to regulate toxic products and hold their manufacturers accountable. Director of Administration Pelzcar said that it costs local governments millions of dollars annually to fish those cans out of the waste stream and properly deal with them.
That’s why the council worked with state Sen. John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) to get Senate Bill 1280 passed in 2024, banning the sale of single-use propane cylinders in the state. The governor signed it last year, and the ban goes into effect in 2028. But 2024 wasn’t the bill’s first attempt, and an outright ban wasn’t always the goal.
“It actually took three tries,” Laird said.
Find the fulle article here: https://www.newtimesslo.com/special-issues/gear-hub-starting-in-2028-re…