BSR rubbish plant warns Berliners about explosive laughing gas

Berlin’s rubbish collection organisation, BSR, has said partygoers in the city should be more careful when disposing of nitrous oxide canisters, which can cause explosions in the disposal plant.

BSR urges Berlin partygoers to dispose of laughing gas cans properly

At Berliner Stadtreinigung, the city’s rubbish collection service, employees have urged partygoers to dispose of their laughing gas canisters more responsibly.

According to the collection service, five canisters containing nitrous oxide dregs explode in the sorting plant incinerator daily, up from just one per day in 2023. BSR noted that the number of commercially-sized laughing gas canisters thrown away in Berlin has also increased.

These explosions mean the plant must halt rubbish processing while incinerators are inspected for damages and keep household waste in storage during a repair. Laughing gas canisters should be brought to a recycling plant or BSR collection point for proper disposal.

Purchasing laughing gas may soon be harder in Germany

Laughing gas is cheap, easy to find and legal in Berlin since it is not officially recognised as a drug in Germany and there are no age restrictions on purchasing canisters. 

In May, the state government in Lower Saxony announced that it would push for laughing gas to be included in a law regulating new psychoactive substances. Representatives from Lower Saxony said they would launch a Bundesrat initiative on the matter, which will be brought to the Bundestag.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also has concerns and has expressed support for banning the purchase of laughing gas for those under 18.

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