"At our facility in south-east London we've had 2,300 explosions in 2025. At our Newhaven facility we've had 200 explosions. We've also seen small explosions in the back of refuse vehicles and obviously this is very frightening for our employees. We're really lucky no one's been seriously injured. The public is at risk too if they're near one of these collection vehicles."
"The high-pressure nitrous oxide metal canisters, which are being used illegally by recreational users, are often discarded in household rubbish, causing significant damage to energy-from-waste plants. Waste management and recycling companies say they are seeing hundreds of explosions each week, costing millions of pounds to repair damage, and threatening workers' safety. The government says it is an offence to illegally dispose of canisters and local councils have powers to take enforcement action against offenders."
"We've seen a shift from people using small canisters to much larger ones holding 600, 700g of nitrous oxide, which become a ticking time bomb when they're disposed of and find their way into our waste and recycling facilities."
High-pressure nitrous oxide metal canisters used illegally for recreational laughing gas are being discarded in household rubbish and are exploding in waste and recycling operations. Explosions are occurring hundreds of times each week, causing significant damage to furnaces at energy-from-waste plants, forcing unplanned shutdowns and costing millions of pounds in repairs. Workers and the public face safety risks from explosions in vehicles and facilities. Waste companies report a shift to much larger 600–700g canisters that increase the hazard. The government treats illegal disposal as an offence and local councils can enforce safe disposal. Companies urge use of household waste recycling centres for safe treatment.
Read at www.bbc.com
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