June 14, 2022 - SACRAMENTO — A bill by State Senator Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont) to transition California away from single-use, one-pound propane cylinders to refillables moved one step closer 
to approval as the Assembly Natural Resources Committee voted to support the legislation this afternoon. SB 1256 now heads to the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
“This is a great step forward for this bill and I appreciate the committee’s support,” said Wieckowski, a member of the Senate’s Environmental Quality Committee. “Single-use one-pound propane cylinders are highly wasteful, highly-expensive for local governments to handle, dangerous and bad for our environment. They exacerbate climate change and pose a major litter problem. My bill gives the makers of these cylinders five years to transition to more environmentally-responsible and safer refillable canisters.”
SB 1256 requires the single-use cylinders to be phased out by January 2028. The propane cylinders are often used in cooking stoves and lanterns. It is estimated that more than 4 million are sold annually in California. However, only a million are recycled through the Household Hazardous Waste programs offered by local governments in the state, according to the California Product Stewardship Council. They pose multiple problems and safety concerns to local government hazardous waste and recycling operations. An analysis found that local governments are spending upwards of $3 million per year to handle this expensive waste stream.
“It is really encouraging to see the California Legislature taking a hard look at the wastefulness of single-use one-pound propane cylinders when there is a sustainable, more environmentally sound alternative using refillables, just like Californians have been always doing when it comes to the barbeque tanks they use for their backyard grills,” said Doug Kobold, executive director of the California Product Stewardship Council .“We at CPSC thank the tireless efforts of Senator Wieckowski and his staff for taking on this important task of putting California on the right track when it comes to propane cylinders used for camping. Crucial financial resources currently being spent on proper disposal of single-use cylinders can be redirected to more important needs within our parks systems and local government operations.”
Yosemite’s sustainability initiative includes reducing the improper disposal of the single-use cylinders. The only cylinders available to purchase inside the park are refillable.
In addition to the bill’s sponsor CPSC, SB 1256 is supported by Santa Clara County, Stop Waste, Sunnyvale, Thousand Oaks, California Waste and Recycle Association, Rethink Waste, Californians Against Waste, Western Placer Waste Management Authority, Del Norte Solid Waste Management Authority, Republic Services, California Resource Recovery Association, Resource Recovery Coalition of California and the National Stewardship Action Council, among many others.
The Senate approved the bill earlier this year.
Senator Wieckowski represents the 10th Senate District, which includes southern Alameda County and parts of Santa Clara County.
Source: Senator Bob Wieckowski
