JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling (ISWR) is looking for a way to process and recycle a backlog of one-pound, non-refillable propane canisters.
Disposal of those pesky green propane canisters, commonly used during camping and outdoor recreation, currently costs ISWR a whopping $85 each. On Tuesday, the Teton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved ISWR’s request for a free, yearlong pilot test of a prototype recycling unit from Worthington Enterprises. The manufacturer’s price tag on that unit is $300,000. The contract with Worthington states that ISWR will use the unit only for cylinders from Coleman and Bernzomatic brands.
“ISWR is collecting canisters that are not Coleman or Bernzomatic brand, and we are properly disposing of those with an alternative method,” ISWR Superintendent Becky Kiefer told Buckrail.
The expectation is that, when the pilot program ends, ISWR will have acquired a different recycling unit, one that has been in the works since last year. Kiefer said that up until 2022, ISWR transported the collected propane canisters to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, where National Park Service (NPS) staff operated a recycling trailer for the cylinders. According to BCC staff notes, that trailer is no longer in operation.
In July 2025, BCC directed ISWR to submit an eligibility application to the Wyoming State Agency for Surplus Property in order to acquire the recycling trailer at no cost to Teton County. “However, due to National Park Service staff turnover and shifting agency priorities, the transfer was not completed,” the staff report states. “Without access to the propane recycling trailer, ISWR’s only disposal option is through the contracted Household Hazardous Waste vendor at a cost of $85.64 per canister.” A full canister can be purchased at REI and Albertsons for around $10.
Local officials hope and expect that they will be able to acquire the trailer from NPS within a year. At the BCC meeting, they discussed ways to move that process forward, which could include a future letter from the Commissioners. Until then, Kiefer encourages local residents to continue bringing their empty canisters to the Recycling Center, where there is a disposal cage available 24/7. ISWR does not accept five-pound propane canisters that are typically used on a backyard barbecue grill.
“Our recommendation is to use each canister completely, if possible,” Kiefer said. “And even if it’s not completely emptied, we prefer empty and full canisters to be properly disposed of at ISWR.”
Four other measures from ISWR were passed on the BCC consent agenda without discussion. Those included the purchase of an existing leased forklift for $40,000; the purchase and delivery of a skid steer loader for $74,551; the approval of a contract to have a new truck scale built for $1,176,394; and the approval for a contract with KGB Productions to create compost training and educational videos for $25,000, which is fully reimbursable through a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant.
