Gas bottles may be refilled or recycled as scrap metal. Generally made from steel, recycling reduces the energy required to produce steel products from raw materials. Gas bottles should not be placed in landfill where they may explode or leak toxic gas.
Gas Bottles
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Gas Bottles
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Why Recycle?
Gas bottles and their fittings are generally manufactured from plate steel, a metal that can be effectively recycled over and over again. This can save up to 75 per cent of the energy needed to make steel products from raw materials. Some gas bottles are also suitable for reuse through refilling. If not possible, gas bottles must always be degassed and devalved before they can be recycled. The potentially hazardous nature of pressurised cylinders makes them a priority to divert from landfill where they may place the health and safety of employees and members of the public at risk, should the cylinder explode or leak poisonous gas when compacted.
Recycling Options
- Many manufactures accept bottles for return including BOC / CIG, Matheson, Linde, GasTech, Air Liquide, LAA or Liquid Air cylinders. Diving tanks should be returned to the manufacturer, via dive centres or re-fillers. If you are unsure if a gas bottle can be returned, it is advisable to contact the manufacture.
- SWAPnGO run a national gas bottle exchange program through a range of retail outlets, where you can swap any brand of gas bottle that is up to 9kg in size.
- CAC GAS runs a reycling service for calibration gas cylinders. Please see the Gas Cylinders page for more information.
What Happens When It’s Recycled?
Gas bottles are tested for reuse and if possible refilled by manufactures. Those bottles that are damaged, deteriorated, or for other reasons unfit for reuse are recycled as scrap metal. Most gas bottles are not safe to be recycled unless they have been degassed, devalved, and may be punctured or in some other way tagged to indicate their ‘gas free’ status.
