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Refillable Propane Brand Expands at REI, National Parks

By late March, about 50 REI Co-op stores around the country will offer a propane cylinder exchange program to keep tanks out of landfills.
little kamper innovation awards(Photo/Little Kamper)
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The dark green color of many propane tanks might suggest they’re environmentally friendly — but they’re actually a strain on park resources.

Every year, millions of propane tanks are abandoned at campsites or tossed in a landfill because proper disposal is both costly and dangerous. But it’s now easier than ever for many campers and hikers to opt for refillable propane tanks. That’s because California-based Little Kamper will get a boost from REI Co-op this year.

The national co-op began offering the refillable tanks from Little Kamper in a few California stores after the state passed a law banning single-use propane canisters. Though the ban doesn’t go into effect until 2028, REI spent the last year-and-a-half adding Little Kamper’s refillable propane canisters to a handful of stores in California and Colorado. By late March, the co-op plans to expand the program to 50 locations across the country.

Moreover, Little Kamper is becoming increasingly available at national parks throughout the country. The brand is now available at various retailers located within 10 national parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Big Bend, and Grand Canyon.

Another five national parks, several of them in Utah, will likely start carrying the cans this year. It’s heartening to see other companies support Little Kamper’s mission to reduce waste, Josh Simpson, the brand’s vice president of marketing, told GearJunkie.

A Slow Change From Disposable Tanks

“The problem is going to exist for a while. But as a large company with a substantial role to play in the marketplace, REI is stepping forward in a way that other companies have not yet,” he said. “We’ve talked to many other sporting goods companies, and truthfully, I don’t think they use sustainability in calculations about how to choose products.”

propane cans yosemite trash
Yosemite National Park officials must dispose of 24,000 propane cans left at campsites every year; (screenshot/Yosemite Conservancy)

So how can you skip the single-use propane canisters — which REI will also continue to sell — and opt for the sustainable solution from Little Kamper to fuel your camp stove? Once you’ve found the closest seller on the Little Kamper website, you can purchase one of the brand’s refillable canisters for about $22. Once empty, you can go back and exchange it for a full tank for $10 — just like refilling your grill’s gas at a grocery store.

REI customers have been requesting the program for some time, Nicole Ryan, the company’s camp merchandising buyer, told GearJunkie this week.

“Millions of discarded single-use propane canisters end up in landfills every year,” Ryan said. “If REI can reduce that number in even a small way, it’s worth our time and investment.”

Another great option for consumers who want to reduce waste and save money is to use a refillable 3-pound or 5-pound tank. Available at REI or even Home Depot, tanks like Ignik’s Gas Growlers cost between $50 and $80 and can be filled at any propane station for just a few bucks.

They’re a great solution for car camping and run for months without needing a refill. And they’ll pay for themselves in just a few trips as refills are much cheaper than buying disposable tanks.

REI Refillable Propane Tanks vs. Disposable Tanks

Many propane tanks may look refillable — such as those sold by brands like Coleman and Bernzomatic — but they’re not. Of the roughly 40 million single-use canisters sold in the U.S. every year, many end up in landfills. And since many of the cans still have gas in them, they can explode or ignite a fire when compressed by garbage trucks or compactors.

Consumers have been critically injured and killed as a result of refilling propane tanks, according to the nonprofit California Product Stewardship Council. In California alone, more than 4 million single-use propane tanks are sold each year, but only 1 million are recycled through the Household Hazardous Waste programs offered by local governments, the organization said.

Difficult Disposal

Proper disposal is not only dangerous, but it’s also expensive. According to Little Kamper, which makes the refillable canisters now available at some REI stores, “the collection, transportation, hazardous waste processing, and recycling of a discarded single-use propane cylinder can cost as much as three times the retail cost of the cylinder.”

Based in Manteca, Calif., the Little Kamper brand partnered with the Yosemite Zero Landfill initiative in 2021. That helped park officials collect and dispose of 24,000 cylinders taken from the national park’s campground each year. The brand’s dedication to consumer safety and sustainability is why REI Co-op decided to work them, Ryan said.  

But knowing the scale of the problem also means that Little Kamper understands it will take time to address it, said Simpson. While he’s optimistic about Little Kamper’s future, it will be a “long hike” to shake off the dominance of single-use products.

“We still see on an ongoing basis what that waste stream looks like, and it’s a powerful motivating force for us,” Simpson said. “Our growth plans are truthfully about working with companies that understand what we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

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