Sign Up for News Updates
With summer comes the annual pilgrimage as millions of Americans head to state and national parks in some of the most beautiful parts of the country. While it can be nice to stay at a historic lodge, experience the joys of glamping, or relax in an RV, the quintessential American experience tends to revolve around tent camping and the iconic one-pound green propane tank.
For decades, campers have relied on propane for cooking and heating due to its convenience, effectiveness, and portability. Now, thanks to an innovative new propane cylinder evacuation system introduced recently by IPS, campers can have faith that their tanks are being disposed of in a safe and environmentally friendly way. This process not only prepares tanks for proper recycling, but it also allows for resale and reuse of recaptured propane.
“We’ve been selling our custom evacuation systems for a while, but then we decided to build some that were plug-and-play so they were portable and flexible to handle a variety of tank sizes,” said IPS president Jeff Vandemark. “Then we started getting calls from colleges, parks, recycling centers and waste management companies asking for a solution for the one-pound tanks, so we decided that would be our next move.”
During the 2024 NPGA Southeastern Conference and International Propane Expo, IPS announced its new propane cylinder evacuation system, which recovers leftover propane from one-pound tanks without flaring or venting. This one-pound cylinder inverter connects to the IPS plug-and-play systems to evacuate multiple one-pound cylinders at a time, and anyone can use the system. You simply lock an inverted cylinder in place, and the machine does the rest. The systems range from 5 to 10 cylinders at a time and only take about 30 seconds to completely remove propane from one cylinder.
Parks have been trying for years to take on the challenge of properly disposing of the multitudes of propane tanks that are left in bins by
campers, but they have often lacked the resources to make it happen. In 2016, the Yellowstone Park Foundation launched a disposable camping fuel cylinder recycling program for Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. The program helped park visitors properly recycle propane containers through easy-to-identify recycling bins and a specialized vehicle that removed residual propane from discarded fuel cylinders and processed them for recycling. While this ambitious program was eventually terminated due to a lack of resources, it provided a blueprint for future initiatives.
California-based Little Kamper is another entrant in the field of one-pound cylinder innovators. Since 2014, the company has been operating a cylinder exchange business that fills and refills the one-pounders for resale. Little Kamper products can now be found in locations across the lower 48 states, including at 10 national parks.
Tank manufacturers like Worthington Enterprises, which was involved in the Yellowstone project, have been on the forefront of responsible recycling practices for years. The company promotes new innovations, such as propane cylinder evacuation, to help industry partners develop better recycling and disposal solutions.
To prepare propane tanks for recycling, any remaining propane must be evacuated from the cylinder to release the pressure and allow for safe crushing. The most common ways to remove propane from tanks are venting, the controlled release of gas, or flaring, burning gas through a combustion device. Vented and flared propane is non-toxic, doesn’t pollute soil or water, dissipates in the air, and has a low carbon intensity. However, these processes are very time consuming, often taking all day for most tanks.
IPS has provided custom cylinder evacuation systems for larger tanks for years that are built onsite at various facilities. These systems eliminate the need for venting or flaring and can evacuate tanks with incredible efficiency, taking as little as 20 minutes for a 500-gallon tank and 7 minutes for a 20-gallon one. They also recover 100 percent of the liquid and vapor propane and transfer it to a storage tank for resale opportunities that provide a quick return on investment. But IPS had never considered the humble one-pound camping tanks…until now.
The quantity of one-pound cylinders left behind in campgrounds, state and national parks, campuses and other tailgating events nationwide is enormous. One-pound cylinders are considered household waste and should be properly disposed of, but many people don’t know what steps to take.
State and national parks have been seeking an environmentally friendly solution to the one-pound propane tank disposal problem for years. As recycling centers across the country adopt these evacuation systems, they can partner with parks for a truly sustainable option for tank disposal. Not only can the propane be efficiently and safely evacuated for crushing and proper recycling, but excess propane in tanks that would normally be wasted can be reused for other purposes. Now campers can enjoy the benefits of propane and know that the parks are managing tank disposal in ways we can all feel good about.
