How to Get Rid of Propane Tanks and Pool Chemicals

Updated 2026-09-25. General guidance only: local rules vary, so check with your county or the facility.

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Propane cylinders and pool chemicals have something in common: they're safe when stored and used as directed, and genuinely dangerous when they end up in a garbage truck. Pressurized cylinders can rupture in a compactor, and pool chemicals can react violently with each other or with other trash. Here's how to get rid of both safely.

Propane tanks

20-pound grill cylinders

The standard barbecue tank has several easy exits:

Exchange it. Tank exchange cages at gas stations, hardware and grocery stores swap your empty or expired tank for a full one. This is the simplest option, and exchange programs usually accept older tanks too.
Refill it. Refill stations top up cylinders that are in date and in good shape. Cylinders have a manufacture or requalification date stamped on the collar, and refillers won't fill tanks that are past it or that lack a modern overfill-prevention valve.
Drop it off. Many transfer stations, convenience centers, scrap yards and HHW programs have a designated spot for propane cylinders. Some want them empty, and some charge a small fee.
Give it away if it still works. Someone with an exchange-program habit will take it.

Never put a propane cylinder in the trash, a recycling cart or a dumpster, even if you think it's empty. There's almost always some gas left.

One-pound camping cylinders

The small green cylinders for camp stoves and torches are the harder case. Some HHW programs and some recycling centers accept them. A few programs ask that they be completely empty or processed with a special tool first; follow the instructions of whoever is accepting them. Refillable 1-lb cylinders are an option if you use a lot of them.

Larger tanks

For 30-, 40- and 100-pound cylinders, or anything bigger, call a propane supplier. Most will take back cylinders or tell you who will.

Transporting propane cylinders

Keep the valve closed and the cap or plug on, secure the cylinder upright so it can't roll, keep a window open, and don't leave it in a hot, closed car.

Pool and hot tub chemicals

Common products include chlorine tablets and granules (often calcium hypochlorite or trichlor), liquid chlorine (sodium hypochlorite), muriatic acid and other pH decreasers, bromine, algaecides and shock treatments.

The big rule: never mix them

Certain combinations, such as chlorine products with acids, or different types of chlorine with each other, can produce toxic chlorine gas, intense heat or even fire. That's also why you should never dump leftovers into one container or pour them down a drain.

Storage while you wait

Keep each product in its original, tightly closed, labeled container.
Store them dry, cool and ventilated, off the floor, and away from each other, fuels, fertilizers and lawn chemicals.
If a container is cracked, swollen or leaking, place it inside a larger container with a lid and call your HHW program for advice.

Where they usually go

Use them up as the label directs, or give sealed, usable products to another pool owner.
HHW facilities and collection days take pool chemicals in nearly every program. Mention them when you register, since some events want oxidizers packed separately.
Pool supply stores sometimes accept unopened products or know of local disposal options, but don't count on it.

Empty chemical buckets can often go in the trash once they're fully empty and dry, but check the label and local rules.

Quick checklist

Propane: exchange, refill or take to a site that lists cylinders. Never trash.
Camping cylinders: ask your HHW program or recycling center.
Pool chemicals: original containers, never mixed, packed separately, to HHW.

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Find a place near you

Open the map with hazardous waste + transfer stations switched on, or only show listings that mention propane tanks (fewer results, because most listings don't list materials). You can also estimate weight and cost with the dump cost calculator.