The Berlin waste disposal company BSR is urging partygoers in the city to be more careful when disposing of nitrous oxide containers, as these can cause explosions in the disposal facility.

BSR calls on Berlin partygoers to dispose of nitrous oxide cans properly

At the Berlin city cleaning service, employees asked party guests to dispose of their laughing gas cans more responsibly.

According to the collection service, five containers with nitrous oxide residues explode every day in the sorting plant’s incineration plant; in 2023, the figure was just one per day. The number of commercial-sized nitrous oxide containers thrown away in Berlin has also increased, the BSR found.

These explosions cause the plant to stop processing waste while the incinerators are inspected for damage and the household waste must be stored while repairs are made. Nitrous oxide containers should be taken to a recycling facility or BSR collection point for proper disposal.

Buying nitrous oxide could soon become more difficult in Germany

Nitrous oxide is cheap, easy to obtain and legal in Berlin, as it is not recognized as a drug in Germany and there is no age restriction for purchasing cans.

In May, the Lower Saxony state government announced that it would work to have nitrous oxide included in a law regulating new psychoactive substances. Members of parliament from Lower Saxony announced that they would launch a Federal Council initiative on the subject, which would be presented to the Bundestag.

Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) also has concerns and is in favor of a ban on the purchase of nitrous oxide for those under 18.

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