You’ve packed up the tent, squeezed the sleeping bag back into its sack, and now you’re left with a small but awkward problem: the empty gas canister that kept your tea hot all weekend. What are you supposed to do with it? Toss it in the bin? Can camping gas canisters be recycled? Or do you just take them home and leave it collecting dust in the garage until next summer?
Camping gas canisters can be recycled – but you can’t treat them like a baked bean tin. Because they once held pressurised fuel, they need a bit of extra care before they’re safe to recycle. That usually means checking they’re completely empty, sometimes puncturing them with a proper tool, and then taking them to the right place – whether that’s your local recycling centre or an camping store with a take-back scheme.
It might sound like extra hassle, but it’s worth doing. Recycling canisters keeps them out of landfill, reduces waste, and avoids the very real risk of one exploding in the back of a bin lorry. In the next few minutes we’ll cover exactly how to recycle them, what not to do, and some eco-friendly alternatives for campers who want to cut down on single-use gas altogether.
Contents
- Why Not Just Bin Them?
- How to Recycle Camping Gas Canisters Safely
- What Not To Do
- Alternatives & Eco-Friendly Options
- Final Thoughts
- Camping Gas Canister FAQ
Why Not Just Bin Them?
It’s tempting to finish your trip, screw the lid back on the canister and lob it straight in the trash. Job done, right? Not quite. Camping gas canisters are pressurised containers, and even when you’re convinced they’re empty, there’s usually a bit of gas rattling around inside.
Throwing them in with general waste means they can end up compacted, crushed or overheated, which is a recipe for small explosions. Not great for the bin lorry driver, and not great for you if it happens closer to home.
Even when they don’t go bang, canisters that end up in landfill are a waste of perfectly good material. Most are made from steel or aluminium – both valuable, infinitely recyclable metals. Leaving them to rust away underground is the environmental equivalent of pouring a pint down the sink after last orders.
So the problem isn’t that canisters can’t be recycled – it’s that they can’t just be recycled casually. They need to be handled properly first. That’s why the next step is making sure they’re completely empty and safe before you send them off to a new life as, say, a bike frame, a drinks can, or even another stove.
How to Recycle Camping Gas Canisters Safely
The good news is that recycling your canisters isn’t rocket science. The key is making sure they’re completely safe before you hand them over to a recycling centre or shop. Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Make sure it’s empty
- First, shake the canister. If you hear sloshing, there’s still liquid fuel in there.
- Attach it to your stove and burn off the last bit of gas until the flame dies out naturally. Some people tilt the canister and listen for a hiss – no hiss usually means no gas.
- Always do this outside in a well-ventilated spot, well away from tents or anything that could catch fire.
Step 2: Puncture the canister (if required)
- Even when empty, canisters are technically still pressurised containers. Many recycling centres won’t accept them unless they’ve been punctured.
- The safest way to do this is with a tool designed for the job, like the Jetboil CrunchIt or similar. These gadgets screw onto the canister and make a clean hole so it’s obvious the canister is safe.
- Some councils or specialist facilities can take care of this step for you – check before you go DIY with a hammer and nail (which is as dodgy as it sounds).
Step 3: Drop it off in the right place
- Household recycling centres: In the UK, most councils will take empty, punctured canisters at their main recycling sites, though it’s worth double-checking your local rules.
- Outdoor retailers: Some shops, like Go Outdoors in the UK or REI in the US, run take-back schemes for used canisters. If you’re heading in to buy new gas anyway, this can be the easiest option.
- Scrap metal facilities: Because they’re made from steel or aluminium, many scrap metal recyclers will happily take them once they’re safe.
A quick global note:
- In the UK, council recycling centres are usually your best bet, with some outdoor stores offering extras.
- In the US, REI and some local waste facilities have established collection programmes.
- Across much of the EU, canisters fall under general metal recycling once they’re punctured, though rules vary country to country.
The main thing is: don’t just chuck them in the blue bin at home. Take the time to make them safe, then hand them over somewhere that actually wants them.
What Not To Do
There are a few shortcuts people try with old gas canisters, and most of them fall somewhere between unhelpful and downright dangerous. A quick run-through of the big no-nos:
- Don’t chuck them in the fire. It sounds obvious, but plenty of campers have tried to get rid of half-full canisters by tossing them on the campfire. Best case, you get a scary hiss. Worst case, you’ve just created a shrapnel grenade in the middle of your campsite.
- Don’t stab them with a nail or knife. Yes, the goal is to puncture them, but doing it with a screwdriver or your tent peg is a bad idea. Without the right tool, you risk sparks, jagged edges and a trip to the hospital.
- Don’t slip them in with your household recycling. A few councils will take them in kerbside bins if they’re completely empty and punctured, but most won’t. Tossing them in with the Coke cans is a good way to have your whole recycling load rejected.
Play it safe: empty, puncture properly, then drop off where they’re actually accepted. A little extra effort now saves a lot of hassle (and danger) later.
Alternatives & Eco-Friendly Options
If the whole ‘burn it off, puncture it, drive it to the recycling centre’ routine feels like a bit of a faff, the good news is you’ve got other options. More eco-friendly ones, too.
Refillable gas canisters: Instead of buying single-use screw-on cartridges, look into refillable systems. Larger LPG cylinders (like the ones Calor supplies in the UK) can be swapped and refilled endlessly. Even some smaller backpacking canisters are now being designed to refill safely from a larger cylinder. It takes a bit of setup, but over time it saves money and cuts down on waste.
Alternative fuels: If you’re keen to ditch gas altogether, there are some clever options. Bio-ethanol burners use liquid fuel made from renewable sources. Wood-burning stoves like the Solo Stove or Biolite let you cook with twigs and branches you find around camp. Solar cookers are another option in sunnier climates, though admittedly less reliable on a damp weekend in Wales.
Cutting down waste: Even if you stick with standard gas canisters, you can reduce how many you get through. Plan meals so you’re not wasting fuel – boil only what you need, bring a lid for your pot, and save the extra weight for things that actually make camp more comfortable, like a decent mattress that won’t wreck your back.
With a bit of planning, you can enjoy all the convenience of a hot meal outdoors without leaving a trail of empty metal tins behind you.
Final Thoughts
So, can camping gas canisters be recycled? Yes, but only if you do it properly. Empty them fully, puncture them with the right tool, and drop them at a recycling centre or store that knows what to do with them. It’s a small extra step, but it keeps dangerous waste out of landfill and stops perfectly good metal from going to waste.
If you’re fed up with the whole rigmarole, there are plenty of alternatives (from refillables to wood stoves) that let you cut down on single-use gear altogether. Either way, the important thing is making sure your weekend outdoors doesn’t leave a permanent mark on the environment.
Camping Gas Canister FAQ
Can camping gas canisters be recycled with my normal household cans?
No usually not. Most councils want them dropped off at a recycling centre once they’re empty and punctured. Always check local rules.
Do I really need to puncture them?
In many areas, yes. Puncturing shows they’re safe and not pressurised. A proper tool like Jetboil’s CrunchIt makes it easy and safe.
What happens if I throw one in the bin?
If there’s gas left, it can explode when crushed or overheated. Even if it doesn’t, it’ll end up in landfill wasting valuable metal.
Can I refill standard screw-on canisters?
Some refill kits exist, but they’re not recommended unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Safer to stick to official refillables or larger LPG cylinders.
What’s the most eco-friendly alternative?
Wood-burning stoves and refillable systems are your best bet. They cut out the cycle of single-use tins altogether.
