The darkish inexperienced coloration of many propane tanks would possibly counsel they’re environmentally pleasant — however they’re really a pressure on park sources.
Yearly, tens of millions of propane tanks are deserted at campsites or tossed in a landfill as a result of correct disposal is each pricey and harmful. However it’s now simpler than ever for a lot of campers and hikers to go for refillable propane tanks. That’s as a result of California-based Little Kamper will get a lift from REI Co-op this 12 months.
The nationwide co-op started providing the refillable tanks from Little Kamper in a number of California shops after the state handed a regulation banning single-use propane canisters. Although the ban doesn’t go into impact till 2028, REI spent the final year-and-a-half including Little Kamper’s refillable propane canisters to a handful of California shops within the Bay Space. By late March, the co-op plans to develop this system to 50 places in California and Colorado.
Furthermore, Little Kamper is turning into more and more accessible at nationwide parks all through the nation. The model is now accessible at varied retailers positioned inside 10 nationwide parks, together with Yellowstone, Yosemite, Huge Bend, and Grand Canyon.
One other 5 nationwide parks, a number of of them in Utah, will probably begin carrying the cans this 12 months. It’s heartening to see different corporations help Little Kamper’s mission to cut back waste, Josh Simpson, the model’s vice chairman of selling, instructed GearJunkie.
A Sluggish Change From Disposable Tanks
“The issue goes to exist for some time. However as a big firm with a considerable function to play within the market, REI is stepping ahead in a method that different corporations haven’t but,” he stated. “We’ve talked to many different sporting items corporations, and in truth, I don’t suppose they use sustainability in calculations about how to decide on merchandise.”
“We nonetheless see on an ongoing foundation what that waste stream appears like, and it’s a strong motivating drive for us,” Simpson stated. “Our development plans are in truth about working with corporations that perceive what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
Little Kamper’s Reusable Propane Tanks
So how will you skip the single-use propane canisters — which REI can even proceed to promote — and go for the sustainable answer from Little Kamper to gasoline your camp range? When you’ve discovered the closest vendor on the Little Kamper web site, you should buy one of many model’s refillable canisters for about $22. As soon as empty, you’ll be able to return and change it for a full tank for $10 — identical to refilling your grill’s fuel at a grocery retailer.
REI prospects have been requesting this system for a while, Nicole Ryan, the corporate’s camp merchandising purchaser, instructed GearJunkie this week.
“Tens of millions of discarded single-use propane canisters find yourself in landfills yearly,” Ryan stated. “If REI can scale back that quantity in even a small method, it’s price our time and funding.”
One other nice choice for customers who need to scale back waste and get monetary savings is to make use of a refillable 3-pound or 5-pound tank. Out there at REI and even House Depot, tanks like Ignik’s Fuel Growlers value between $50 and $80 and will be stuffed at any propane station for just some bucks.
They’re a terrific answer for automobile tenting and run for months with no need a refill. And so they’ll pay for themselves in just some journeys as refills are less expensive than shopping for disposable tanks.
REI Refillable Propane Tanks vs. Disposable Tanks
Many propane tanks could look refillable — akin to these bought by manufacturers like Coleman and Bernzomatic — however they’re not. Of the roughly 40 million single-use canisters bought within the U.S. yearly, many find yourself in landfills. And since most of the cans nonetheless have fuel in them, they’ll explode or ignite a fireplace when compressed by rubbish vehicles or compactors.
Customers have been critically injured and killed on account of refilling propane tanks, in accordance with the nonprofit California Product Stewardship Council. In California alone, greater than 4 million single-use propane tanks are bought annually, however only one million are recycled by way of the Family Hazardous Waste applications provided by native governments, the group stated.
Tough Disposal
Correct disposal is just not solely harmful, however it’s additionally costly. In response to Little Kamper, which makes the refillable canisters now accessible at some REI shops, “the gathering, transportation, hazardous waste processing, and recycling of a discarded single-use propane cylinder can value as a lot as thrice the retail value of the cylinder.”
Primarily based in Manteca, Calif., the Little Kamper model partnered with the Yosemite Zero Landfill initiative in 2021. That helped park officers gather and eliminate 24,000 cylinders taken from the nationwide park’s campground annually. The model’s dedication to client security and sustainability is why REI Co-op determined to work them, Ryan stated.
However figuring out the size of the issue additionally implies that Little Kamper understands it’ll take time to handle it, stated Simpson. Whereas he’s optimistic about Little Kamper’s future, it is going to be a “lengthy hike” to shake off the dominance of single-use merchandise.
“We nonetheless see on an ongoing foundation what that waste stream appears like, and it’s a strong motivating drive for us,” Simpson stated. “Our development plans are in truth about working with corporations that perceive what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”
