How to get rid of an empty nang tank in Melbourne, and how we take it away free
An empty nitrous oxide cylinder is pressurised steel and it is banned from every household and public bin in Victoria. If you bought the tank from us we collect it for nothing on your next delivery, and if you did not, there are still two ways to get rid of it properly.
Do not put a nang tank in any bin, including the yellow recycling bin. Vent it until it is completely empty, then hand it to a collection service.
Nitrous oxide canisters are banned from household and public bins across Victoria because a sealed cylinder can still hold pressure and can explode inside a collection truck or at a sorting facility. The City of Melbourne asks residents to use a licensed operator, and Glen Eira tells people to either book a licensed collector or check with the retailer for a take back.
We are that take back. Message 0402 774 885 before your next order and the driver takes your empties away at the door, at no cost when the tanks came from us.
How our collection works
Three steps, and the driver does the carrying.
1
Empty the tank properly
Use the release nozzle that came with the tank to vent any remaining gas, then leave the valve open so there is no doubt it is empty.
2
Tell us before your next order
Message or WhatsApp 0402 774 885 with your suburb and how many tanks you have. Do this before you order so the driver knows to bring space for them.
3
Hand them over at the door
The driver takes the empties when they drop off the new order. Nothing to carry anywhere and nothing to pay when the tanks came from us.
What collection costs
Free means free when the tank came from us and the driver is already coming to you. Everything else has a cost because the trip exists only for the collection.
Situation
What happens
Cost
Tanks you bought from us, collected with a new order
The driver takes the empties when the new order arrives
Free
Tanks you bought from us, pickup only
A trip made just for the collection
Fee applies
Tanks from another supplier
We can still take them, with or without an order
Fee applies
Trade account with standing collection
Empties leave on the same schedule as deliveries arrive
Free
Trade customers can set collection up alongside delivery on the wholesale page, and delivery costs themselves are on the delivery fee page.
If you did not buy the tank from us
You still should not bin it, so here is what actually works in Melbourne.
Book us anyway
We will collect tanks from any supplier for a fee. Message 0402 774 885 with your suburb and how many you have and we will quote it.
Use a licensed waste operator
Transnitro runs a collection service for nitrous oxide canisters across Melbourne, and Glen Eira Council names them directly in its A to Z waste guide.
Every Victorian council publishes an A to Z waste guide and they do not all say the same thing. The City of Melbourne asks residents to contact a licensed technical waste service.
Melbourne forums are full of people angle grinding cylinders to get them into a scrap bin. A cylinder that is not fully vented can fail while you cut it, and there is no need to take that risk when collection exists.
Questions about tank disposal
No. Nitrous oxide canisters are banned from household and public bins across Victoria, including the yellow recycling bin, because a sealed cylinder can still hold pressure and can explode in a truck or at a sorting facility. Glen Eira and the City of Melbourne both say the same thing, and the City of Melbourne asks residents to use a licensed operator.
If you bought it from us, message 0402 774 885 before your next order and the driver takes the empties away when the new order arrives, at no cost. If you bought it somewhere else, we can still collect it for a fee, or you can book a licensed waste operator such as Transnitro.
It is free for tanks you bought from us when we collect them on the same run as a delivery. Tanks from another supplier carry a fee, and so does a pickup with no order attached, because that trip exists only for the collection.
A normal household load of a few tanks goes on any delivery. If you have a large number, for example a venue clearing a back room, tell us the count when you book so the driver brings the right vehicle.
Yes. Vent the tank with the release nozzle it came with until no gas is left, then leave the valve open. We cannot take a cylinder that still holds pressure.
Every tank is depressurised and the steel goes through certified commercial waste streams for recycling. Nothing we collect goes to landfill intact.
Yes. Trade accounts can run a standing collection on the same schedule as their deliveries, so the empties leave as the full ones arrive. Ask us when you set the account up.
Small 8g chargers are steel and can usually go in your kerbside recycling once fully discharged, because they hold no pressure and are not classified the way a cylinder is. Check your own council’s A to Z waste guide, since rules differ between councils.
