Passing on old butane bottles

Question: I have lived in Spain for 17 years using normal butane gas bottles. Now we are changing to all-electric. We are pensioners and soon will not be able to handle the heavy gas bottles. I have five gas bottles which I inherited when we bought our bungalow. They are empty and I want to get rid of them. My question is: Can I give them away to friends or do I have to return them to the original owners? I don’t know what the law is. A.E.G. (Costa Blanca)

Answer: Passing on old butane bottles. Here is the law. Properly you have a contract with your butane and propane distributor. The contract specifies that the gas bottles are the property of the company and only leased to you. You call your distributor and he will come and take away your empty bottles. I suspect however that you do not have a contract and, as you say, simply “inherited” the gas bottles. Empty gas bottles are openly advertised on the Internet and sold in street markets against the rules. So it seems that you can safely give them to your friends.

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