Propane Tanks, Fuel and Old BBQs: Where They Go Instead of the Bin

Garage hold-zone shelf with a propane tank, a gas can, camping canisters and paint cans labelled for drop-off.
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Clean out a garage or a backyard and you’ll find them: a rusty barbecue, a propane tank or two, a half-full gas can from an old mower and a few camping canisters. None of these go in a disposal bin. Most have a set drop-off, and many are free.

Below, item by item, is where each one goes in Metro Vancouver and how to get it there.

Why these items need a drop-off

Propane and butane are pressurized gases. Gasoline, kerosene and camping fuel are flammable liquids. A dented tank or a leaking can is a fire risk in a truck, at a transfer station and for the people handling the load.

Grid showing which Metro Vancouver drop-offs take propane tanks, butane, gasoline, other fuels, diesel and old barbecues.
Where each item goes. Sources: Metro Vancouver, Product Care Recycling.

That’s why Trash King lists propane tanks and automotive fluids as prohibited items on our household garbage page. Metro Vancouver’s recycling and waste centres and B.C.’s product stewardship programs have safe paths for all of them.

Propane tanks

Metro Vancouver lists propane tanks as a free drop-off at several of its recycling and waste centres:

  • United Boulevard, Coquitlam: household barbecue tanks and small camping tanks, up to 100 pounds. Vehicle tanks aren’t accepted.
  • North Surrey: the same rules, up to 100 pounds, no vehicle tanks.
  • North Shore, North Vancouver: the same rules, up to 100 pounds, no vehicle tanks.
  • Langley: refillable household barbecue tanks.

If your tank still works, you may be able to refill or exchange it instead. The Canadian Propane Association says only trained staff should refill a cylinder.

Product Care Recycling’s household hazardous waste program doesn’t accept refillable propane cylinders, so take tanks to a Metro Vancouver centre.

Getting a tank there safely

The Canadian Propane Association recommends:

Five steps for transporting a propane tank safely in a car.
Source: Canadian Propane Association.
  • Close the valve and plug or cap the outlet.
  • Carry the cylinder upright with the safety valve on top.
  • Secure it so it can’t tip over while you drive.
  • Keep the windows open, or block the trunk lid open. Never put a cylinder in a closed vehicle.
  • Don’t leave it in a parked car.

Don’t transport a tank that’s damaged, badly corroded, leaking or has been through a fire. Call the centre or your propane supplier for advice first.

Butane and small camping canisters

Metro Vancouver lists butane canisters as a free drop-off at the United Boulevard, North Surrey and North Shore centres. Small camping propane cylinders are covered under the propane tank listing above.

Product Care’s program doesn’t take butane, so use a Metro Vancouver centre.

Gasoline and other flammable fuels

Product Care Recycling runs B.C.’s free household hazardous waste program. It accepts leftover gasoline and other flammable liquids at collection sites across the province.

  • Gasoline: only in a ULC-approved gas can or jerry can, up to 25 litres. The can isn’t returned to you.
  • Other flammables: up to 10 litres per container, in the original container with its label and flammable symbol. Examples include kerosene, liquid camping fuel, barbecue lighter fluid, paint thinner and mineral spirits.
  • Old gas: stale gasoline, even if it’s mixed with oil or water, is accepted.

The United Boulevard, North Shore and Langley centres take flammable liquids and gasoline under the same container rules.

Diesel

Diesel isn’t accepted by Product Care’s program or at the centres’ flammable liquids area. Search the Metro Vancouver Recycles directory or call the Recycling Council of British Columbia hotline at 604-RECYCLE (604-732-9253) for options.

Used oil and antifreeze

These are separate from fuel. The United Boulevard, North Shore and Langley centres take used oil, oil filters, antifreeze and their containers for free. Empty fuel cans aren’t part of that program. If the can still has gasoline in it, the United Boulevard, North Shore and Langley centres and Product Care sites take it in a ULC-approved can up to 25 litres, and the can isn’t returned. For an empty can, search the Metro Vancouver Recycles directory or call the Recycling Council of British Columbia hotline at 604-RECYCLE (604-732-9253) for the nearest option.

Old barbecues

A barbecue is easy once the tank is off.

  1. Disconnect and remove the propane tank. It goes to the propane area at a Metro Vancouver centre.
  2. Empty the grease tray and the ash. Let charcoal ash cool completely first.
  3. Take the grill body to the scrap metal area. Metro Vancouver lists scrap metal as a free drop-off at the United Boulevard, North Surrey, North Shore and Langley centres.
  4. Electric grills have a plug, so they go with electronics, which are free at the United Boulevard and North Shore centres.

If the barbecue still works, a neighbour or a local buy-and-sell group may want it.

Plan the drop-off run

  • Check the centre’s page before you go. Hours and accepted items can change. United Boulevard’s recycling drop-off opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays.
  • Use Product Care’s locator to find a household hazardous waste site near you for gasoline and other flammables.
  • Separate the load. Keep propane, fuel and metal apart in the vehicle so each goes to the right area quickly.
  • Bring only what’s accepted. Unlabelled, leaking or unknown containers aren’t accepted by Product Care’s program, and Metro Vancouver’s centres ask for flammables in the original labelled container. For those, call the Recycling Council of British Columbia hotline at 604-RECYCLE (604-732-9253) or search the Metro Vancouver Recycles directory before you go. Don’t pour anything out, and never put it in a bin.

Doing a bigger cleanout?

Set up a hold zone before your bin arrives. A shelf in the garage or a tarp at the side of the driveway works. Every propane tank, gas can, paint can and tire goes there, away from the bin. Then take the hold-zone items on one trip to the drop-offs.

Garage hold-zone shelf with a propane tank, a gas can, camping canisters and paint cans labelled for drop-off.
Hold zone first. These go to the drop-off, not the bin.

Our list of what not to put in a Metro Vancouver disposal bin covers the rest of the hold-zone items. The bin rental readiness checklist covers the delivery side. For the bin itself, see our household garbage page or call 604-433-5865.

FAQ

Where can I drop off an old propane tank in Metro Vancouver?

Metro Vancouver’s United Boulevard (Coquitlam), North Surrey, North Shore and Langley recycling and waste centres take household barbecue propane tanks for free. Check each centre’s page for its limits.

Can I put a propane tank in a rental bin?

No. Propane tanks never go in a bin. Take them to a Metro Vancouver recycling and waste centre.

How do I get rid of old gasoline?

Take it to a Product Care Recycling household hazardous waste site in a ULC-approved gas can, up to 25 litres. It’s free.

What do I do with an old barbecue?

Remove the tank for the propane drop-off, then take the grill body to the centre’s scrap metal area. The tank and the grill go to separate areas, and both are free at the United Boulevard and North Shore centres.

Where do small butane canisters go?

The United Boulevard, North Surrey and North Shore centres take them for free.

Sources

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