What to Do With Empty CO₂ Cylinders

If you use a Zip or Billi sparkling water system, you'll eventually end up with an empty disposable CO₂ cylinder and wonder what to do with it.

This is one of the most common questions we get, so here's a straightforward answer.

This article covers 1.0–1.1kg disposable CO₂ cylinders only (the small ones used in Zip and Billi residential systems).

Before anything else, make sure it's fully empty

Remove the cylinder normally from your system. Once it's empty, no other preparation is needed.

Where do most people put them?

Most customers put empty CO₂ cylinders in their general waste.

While we've never heard of anything going wrong, we can't recommend this as the correct disposal method, as guidelines across Australia aren't consistent.

How to dispose of empty CO₂ cylinders

The most reliable option for disposing of CO₂ cylinders is to take them to your local transfer station, council recycling facility, or scrap metal recycler.

A couple of things worth knowing:

• Going in person tends to work better than calling ahead. Some facilities aren't sure what you're talking about over the phone, but are happy to accept them when you show up
• You can search for nearby options at Recycling Near You or Business Recycling

How to recycle CO₂ cylinders

A lot of customers ask about recycling CO₂ cylinders specifically, especially because the cylinder is solid steel and feels like something that should be recycled.

We contacted JJ's Waste and Recycling directly, and they verbally confirmed that small, empty CO₂ cylinders should generally be fine for recycling. We're still waiting on something in writing, and rules do vary across Australia, so we can't give a blanket answer here.

If in doubt, a transfer station is the safer bet for recycling CO₂ cylinders in your area.

Can I put it in my kerbside recycling bin?

Possibly, but it depends on your council. If in doubt, a transfer station is the safer option.

Why is the advice so inconsistent?

Because there's no single national rule for disposing of CO₂ cylinders in Australia. Different councils and waste contractors handle them differently, which is exactly why customers get conflicting answers.

We've been trying to get clearer written guidance from waste providers and are continuing to look into better options, including whether a return service could work. At this stage, shipping empty cylinders around the country isn't practical or particularly environmentally friendly, so we're still working on it.

Thinking about going refillable?

Some customers switch to a 2.6kg refillable CO₂ cylinder, which requires a new regulator and adaptor. It's worth knowing the option exists if you're going through disposable CO₂ cylinders regularly. Check out the Aquastream 2.6kg Refillable CO2 Cylinder Starter Pack. 

That's it. If you've got questions about your specific system, we're always happy to help.