New legislation introduced by State Senator John Laird (D-Santa Cruz) will require 1 pound propane cylinders to be refillable or reusable. Senate Bill (SB) 1280 will transition Californians to a safer and sustainable alternative from single-use cylinders that are a health and safety hazard. “California can do much better when it comes to reusing and refilling products and eliminating materials, often hazardous materials, which are discarded haphazardly,” Senator Laird said. “These propane cylinders place a great burden on our park systems, beaches, and material recovery facilities. It is time to transition away from single-use products that harm our environment, pose a threat to workers, and end up in our landfills. SB 1280 would result in more reusable propane cylinders for consumers to refill which will lead to a cleaner and safer California.”
Currently, most single-use propane cylinders end up in the trash. Those that are not verifiably empty should be taken to household hazardous waste facilities. Due to the costs and handling involved, even canisters that are properly disposed of can have a significant impact on the financialresources and stability of these facilities.
SB 1280 is supported by the California Product Stewardship Council (CPSC). “CPSC would like to thank Senator Laird for his leadership in continuing to tackle this problematic product,” said CPSC Executive Director Doug Kobold. “It is unfortunate that millions of used single-use 1 pound propane cylinders are wasted every year, ending up in landfills where the residual propane gas is likely vented to the atmosphere and the recyclable metal is lost forever with the rest of the buried trash. For those million or so single-use cylinders that are actually recovered, the cost of proper management is left to federal, state, and regional parks, or borne by local governments. There is a better option out there in reusable cylinders: use the existing refilling network and exchange locations in many California cities and counties. A high level of convenience should be available to all Californians for refillable 1 pound propane cylinders, just like theconvenience that is seen with the traditional 20 pound barbeque cylinders.”
Senator Laird represents the 17th Senate District, which includes portions of Monterey and Santa Clara Counties, as well as all of San Luis Obispo and Santa Cruz Counties.