A surge in discarded laughing gas canisters at waste sites has led to a rise in explosions endangering workers' lives, authorities have warned. The Environmental Services Association (ESA), which operates many of the UK's energy-from-waste power plants, reports an increase in large nitrous oxide cylinders arriving at plants despite the drug being reclassified as a class C substance in November 2023.
The ESA believes the reclassification has had an 'unintended consequence', driving dealers and recreational users away from small cartridges towards more dangerous, larger cylinders. Explosions have caused over £1.5 million in damage at a single plant in a year.
David Crawford, plant manager for Cory's riverside facility in London, said: 'A canister rupturing is akin to a small explosive going off, causing damage to machinery and making it challenging for us to process waste safely.' Last year, Cory's facility identified around 670,000 canisters, with 4,000 having exploded.
Enforcement is difficult because possession can be justified by legitimate uses such as in medicine, catering, or hobbies like motor racing. However, demand for these purposes is low, yet sales of commercial cylinders appear to be rising.
Large pressurised cylinders, weighing over 2kg and containing up to 700g of explosive gas, remain pressurised after use and are classed as hazardous waste. Many are dumped in parks or general rubbish, posing serious threats. The ESA is calling for a ban on retail sales of large cylinders, mandatory warnings, and a deposit-return scheme.
A government spokesperson said: 'The abuse of nitrous oxide is dangerous… It's an offence to illegally dispose of canisters, and local councils have legal powers to take enforcement action against offenders.'
