Sort recovered nitrous oxide cartridges as hazardous waste

In recent years, non-medical nitrous oxide has become popular for intoxicating purposes. More and more cartridges are found in public places such as streets, parks and squares. Many people want to help keep their local community clean and tidy by picking up rubbish, including nitrous oxide cartridges.

More and more cartridges are left in the packaging waste

In recent months, our facilities that receive collected packaging from the municipalities have seen a marked increase in the number of nitrous oxide cartridges in the material from recycling stations and environmental rooms. It is a negative trend that poses a serious risk of explosions and fires at the facilities, endangering the personnel handling the waste.

– One obviously has the best intentions when picking up nitrous oxide cartridges and leave them in the environmental room or at a recycling station. But unfortunately, it is an incorrect handling that poses serious risks for everyone who empties, transports, handles and treats packaging waste. I therefore want to urge everyone to think when taking care of found nitrous oxide cartridges – leave them at the municipality’s recycling centre, where there they are taken care of in the right way, says Ulrika Eliason, group manager for Anläggning & Återvinning at Näringslivets Producentansvar.

Handle the nitrous oxide cartridge like the gas tube

Even if the cartridge is actually a package, the cartridges are classified as hazardous waste and must therefore be handed over to the municipality’s recycling centre. The difference between a recycling station and a recycling center is not obvious to everyone – only household packaging should be left at the recycling station, while the recycling center handles bulky waste, electronics and hazardous waste.

– Few would even think of leaving the gas tube from the grill or the carbon dioxide cartridge from the soda machine in packaging collection, and the same applies to nitrous oxide cartridges, says Ulrika Eliason.

Look for the marking

If you are not sure how to handle a nitrous oxide cartridge, look for the marking that shows how it should be sorted and handled. Larger cartridges are often marked with the hazardous waste symbol. In the case of smaller cartridges, the marking is usually on the packaging, but these must also be sorted as hazardous waste.