- Nitrous oxide cartridges are a problem for city cleanup
The increasing number of nitrous oxide cartridges in waste is causing concern for Berlin's waste management company (BSR). Incompletely emptied cartridges pose a risk of exploding in waste incineration plants and causing damage to the boilers. "We have about 250 nitrous oxide cartridges in our waste incineration plant every day," said BSR CEO Stephanie Otto to the "Berliner Morgenpost" (Friday).
The damage caused by exploding cans is so severe that the incineration plant often has to shut down. Then, the collected household waste intended for the incinerator in Ruhleben has to be stored elsewhere temporarily. The problem has worsened since the summer of 2023. The background is the increasing consumption of nitrous oxide as a drug, especially among young people.
Explosions are now a daily occurrence
There are now four to five explosions of pressurized containers every day, which damage the boilers in their magnitude and repetition. "This is a nationwide relevant issue," said spokeswoman Petra Nelken of the environmental administration to the newspaper. The federal states are working on a joint solution.
A first step, according to Nelken, would be a deposit system for the cartridges, so that they are not simply thrown in the household waste, but have to be returned to the retailers.
Furthermore, BSR has applied to the environmental administration, according to CEO Otto, to be allowed to collect nitrous oxide containers from the orange waste containers on the streets, in order to prevent them from ending up in waste incineration. The Senate administration is promising a quick approval for this.
Despite the daily challenges, Free time activities remain important for young people. Regrettably, misused nitrous oxide cartridges during these activities contribute to the Free time-related waste issue, unintentionally leading to explosions.
