How to Dispose of a Grill

A grill is mostly steel, so a scrap yard will usually take it free and sometimes pay a few dollars. The one step you must not skip: remove the propane tank first and deal with it separately. Never send a grill anywhere with the tank still attached.

Short answer: take the tank to an exchange cage (free), then take the grill to a scrap yard or put it out for bulk pickup.

Step one — the propane tank

Take the tank off before anything else. Even an empty-reading tank holds residual gas under pressure, and it must never go to a scrap yard, a landfill, a dumpster or kerbside collection with the grill.

Standard 20 lb BBQ tanks are accepted free at the propane exchange cages outside supermarkets and hardware stores — you don't need to buy a refill. Full detail in our propane tank guide.

Disconnect it with the valve closed, cap the valve if you have the cover, and transport it upright with a window cracked.

Then the grill itself

Scrap value

A gas grill is typically 50–120 lbs of steel, plus a cast-iron or stainless grate and an aluminium burner assembly. At usual scrap prices that's a few dollars to $20 — not a reason to make a special trip, but it means disposal costs you nothing.

Stainless steel and cast iron are worth noticeably more per pound than mild steel. If you're dismantling anyway, separating the grates and any stainless panels earns a little more. Not worth the effort otherwise.

Before you scrap it — is it fixable?

Grills are among the most over-discarded items, because the parts that fail are usually the cheapest to replace:

• Burner tubes rust through first and are a common, inexpensive part
• Grates are replaceable on most models
• Igniters fail constantly and cost very little
• Hoses and regulators are standard fittings

A grill with a solid firebox and a rusted burner is often worth repairing, and a working-but-tired grill listed free locally goes within hours. People take them for parts, for allotments, for garage workshops.

If the firebox itself has rusted through, it's genuinely done — that's the one failure that isn't worth fixing.

Charcoal and pellet grills

• Charcoal grills — no tank to worry about. Straight to scrap or bulk pickup. Make sure old ash is completely cold and disposed of separately.
• Kamado / ceramic grills — the ceramic body isn't scrap metal and usually goes as general waste or rubble; the metal bands and hardware are scrap. They're extremely heavy, so plan for two people.
• Pellet grills — contain a control board, auger motor and wiring, which makes them part electronic. Most scrap yards still take them; empty the hopper first.

Ash disposal

Worth a separate mention because it causes fires. Charcoal ash can hold live embers for several days after a cook.

• Let it sit at least 48 hours, longer if it was a big fire
• Douse it with water in a metal container to be certain
• Only then put it in household waste, in a sealed bag
• Never in a paper bag, a plastic bin, or a wheelie bin while warm

Cold wood-charcoal ash is fine in a compost heap or garden in small amounts. Ash from briquettes containing binders and lighter fluid is not — put that in the waste.

Preparing it for collection

• Tank removed and dealt with separately — the essential one
• Hose and regulator detached; these can go with the grill
• Grease trap emptied — congealed grease is unpleasant and, in quantity, a fire risk. Scrape it into the waste, don't pour it down a drain.
• Ash and briquettes removed and cold
• Fold or remove side shelves if it's going in a car

Common questions

Can I put a grill out with the trash?

Not in regular collection — it's too large and it's metal. Book bulk pickup, or take it to a scrap yard where it's usually free.

Do I have to remove the propane tank?

Yes, always. It's the single most important step, and scrap yards and waste facilities will refuse a grill with a tank attached.

Is an old grill worth anything?

A few dollars to $20 as scrap. A working grill has real give-away value and often modest resale value if it's a decent brand.

What about a built-in outdoor kitchen grill?

The grill insert comes out and goes to scrap. The surrounding masonry is a demolition job — treat the rubble as concrete disposal.

Can I scrap it with the grates in?

Yes. Cast iron and stainless are both scrap metal — you'll just get a blended price rather than the higher rate for separated stainless.

Related

• How to dispose of a propane tank
• Who takes your old stuff for free
• Appliance removal cost

Scrap prices fluctuate. Municipal bulk pickup rules vary by city. Never transport or dispose of a propane tank attached to a grill. Last verified August 2026.