Around six tonnes of nitrous oxide canisters have been recovered during the clean-up following the Notting Hill Carnival, Kensington and Chelsea Council has confirmed. The figure marks a significant drop compared to the 13 tonnes collected after the 2023 event.
Some 6,000 canisters of the substance, commonly known as laughing gas, were separated from other waste left behind after Europe’s largest carnival on Sunday and Bank Holiday Monday. Possession of nitrous oxide with the intent to get high was made illegal in November last year, with repeat offenders facing up to two years in prison.
A total of 300 tonnes of rubbish was removed from the streets by a team of 200 staff and 30 refuse trucks from SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK, who worked through the night on both days. Around 30 per cent of the waste will be recycled, the council said.
Waste crews will also spend the coming days cleaning basements and removing graffiti left during the carnival, as part of a free council clean-up service. Approximately 1,000 toilets were placed on the streets to help maintain cleanliness during the event.
Meanwhile, a woman remains in a critical condition in hospital after being stabbed at the carnival, which she had been attending with her young child. The Metropolitan Police reported five stabbings, two slash wound incidents, and one corrosive substance attack linked to the event.
Cllr Kim Taylor-Smith, lead member for culture at Kensington and Chelsea Council, praised the clean-up efforts: “Clearing up when the music stops and the crowds head home is a huge task… I am grateful to the 200 unsung heroes who were out overnight to clear hundreds of tonnes of rubbish. Their hard work means that our residents and businesses woke up on Tuesday morning to find their streets restored to normal just hours after the end of this year’s Carnival.”
