Nitrous oxide cannisters caused over £4.7 million in damage to Energy-from-Waste (EfW) facilities across Bedford since 2023, the Borough Council has said.
Veolia, the council’s contracted waste‑treatment operator, reported over 745 hours of plant outage caused by nitrous oxide (N₂O) canisters exploding in its EfW facilities in 2025.
Bedford Borough Council is urging residents not to put nitrous oxide (N₂O) canisters, also known as ‘laughing gas’, in household waste and recycling bins, or glass bottle banks.
When crushed or heated, these canisters can explode, putting staff at risk and damaging collection vehicles and waste facilities. Even canisters that seem empty can still contain gas under pressure and remain dangerous.
Nitrous oxide canisters are pressurised metal containers often used in catering; however, they are also commonly misused as a recreational drug.
Since 2023, nitrous oxide has been categorised as a Class C drug, which means possessing it for recreational use is a criminal offence.
Councillor Nicola Gribble, Portfolio Holder for Environment at Bedford Borough Council, commented: “N₂O 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.”
“We are asking residents to take them to the Household Waste Recycling Centre, or report them as litter if they are found in public places, so they can be dealt with safely.”
