California’s plan to phase out disposable 1-pound propane cylinders has been blocked by the federal government.
The law would have prohibited the sale of most single-use propane cylinders beginning January 1, 2028. That included the familiar green bottles campers use with portable stoves, grills, lanterns, and heaters.
On September 7, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration found that California’s requirement is preempted by federal hazardous-material transportation law.
What California planned to change
California’s SB 1280 requires propane cylinders sold in the state to be reusable or refillable starting in 2028.
CalRecycle says the law was intended to stop the sale of single-use propane cylinders and reduce the number entering the waste stream.
For campers, the biggest effect would have been on disposable 1-pound cylinders.
California officials say about 4 million of those cylinders are sold in the state each year. An estimated 3 million end up in municipal waste streams, according to the California Attorney General’s Office.
Even a cylinder that appears empty can still contain propane. California cited fires and explosions involving discarded cylinders as one reason for passing the law.
Why the federal government blocked it
Propane-cylinder manufacturer Worthington Enterprises challenged the California requirement and asked PHMSA to decide if federal law preempted it.
PHMSA sided with Worthington.
The agency found that federal hazardous-material regulations already govern propane-cylinder design and manufacturing. California’s law would prevent the sale of some cylinders that meet those federal requirements.
PHMSA also said allowing states to impose different cylinder requirements would interfere with the federal system for regulating hazardous-material transportation. The full preemption determination took effect September 7.
California disagreed with that interpretation.
In comments submitted earlier this year, the California Attorney General’s Office argued that the state law regulates which cylinders can be sold, rather than creating a separate transportation standard. The state also argued that refillable 1-pound cylinders that meet federal requirements are already available.
What campers need to know
The federal decision blocks California’s 2028 restriction as it is currently written.
For now, that means disposable 1-pound propane bottles can continue to be sold in California after the planned January 1, 2028 phaseout date unless the legal situation changes.
Reusable and refillable 1-pound cylinders will remain an option as well.
The dispute may continue. Federal preemption decisions can be challenged through the agency’s reconsideration process or in federal court.
California has also continued work related to implementing SB 1280. CalRecycle currently lists another propane-cylinder workshop for October 15, 2026.
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