Laughing gas explosions cause £4.7m of waste damage

More than £4.7m worth of damage has been caused to waste facilities from explosions linked to nitrous oxide canisters.

Bedford Borough Council has urged residents not to dispose of the high-pressure "laughing gas" canisters in household waste, recycling bins or glass bottle banks.

The authority said that the canisters, which can be used for purposes ranging from whipped cream to recreational drug use, can explode when they are crushed or heated causing injuries to staff and damage to bin lorries.

Contractor Veolia reported more than 745 hours of plant outage due to explosions linked to nitrous oxide canisters in its facilities in 2025.

The company estimated the cost of damage to facilities since 2023 at £4.7m.

These canisters should instead be disposed directly at Bedford's Household Waste Recycling Centre, the authority said.

The council advised people not to confuse nitrous oxide canisters with aerosols, which can be placed in orange-lidded recycling bins.

Nicola Gribble, portfolio holder for environment at Bedford Borough Council, said: "Nitrous oxide canisters should never go in household bins or bottle banks.

"If they are crushed in a refuse vehicle or at a waste facility, they can explode and put our crews and local services at serious risk."

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