Richard Hulland, Chief Risk and Assurance Officer for Veolia UK, comments on the recent update to UK law making possession of nitrous oxide with intent to inhale illegal by classifying it as a Class C drug.
Since 8th October, the government has classified Nitrous Oxide as a controlled Class C drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 where it is, or is likely to be, wrongfully inhaled; also bringing it within Schedule 5 of the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001.
We welcome the change in the law as pressurised laughing gas canisters pesents a serious environmental and safety risk if incorrectly disposed of costing us up to £1.4 million in just the last year.
[T]he explosive nature of the canisters means that collection vehicles, recycling and waste facilities are all at risk of damage if they are disposed of in household or in on street litter bins.
The waste treatment industry has suffered directly, as the explosive nature of the canisters means that collection vehicles, recycling and waste facilities are all at risk of damage if they are disposed of in household or in on street litter bins. Veolia has experienced around 25 serious incidents of explosions in damages at energy recovery facilities since January 2023 due to discarded canisters.
In addition to the risk they pose to staff’s health, these canisters also represent a real environmental risk, as nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas almost 300 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
In addition to the financial damage, the explosions also prevented the production of 380 MWh of electricity for the National Grid due to the shutdown of the plant, the equivalent of 21,000 homes being without power for two days.
...[N]itrous oxide is a greenhouse gas almost 300 times more harmful than carbon dioxide.
We encourage all UK residents, where possible, to dispose of these metals at your local recycling centre to be recycled.
