UK’s first safe, green nitrous oxide canister recycling system begins

The process line can treat and recycle the pressurised vessels, preventing harmful greenhouse gases from escaping into the atmosphere.

Developed at Veolia’s Empire facility in Birmingham, the novel approach to dealing with nitrous oxide canisters captures the leftover contents of the containers. The two components, nitrogen and oxygen, are then separated and safely vented in proportion to relative volumes in the atmosphere. Empty cans are then introduced to the circular economy.

Although nitrous oxide now falls under tight regulations introduced by the UK Government in a bid to reduce the number of recreational users of the gas as a solvent, with almost one-in-ten 16-24 year olds trying using it in the year to January 2023. Last autumn, it was upgraded to a Class C banned substance, but remains available for some hospitality businesses, where it is used to produce foams and whipped creams, and by the wider food industry as an inert gas to fill packets of crisps and snacks. However, the environmental impact is significant. 

Estimates suggest nitrous oxide can stay in the atmosphere for 114 years without breaking down. During this time, it depletes the stratospheric ozone layer and exposes the Earth to higher levels of solar radiation, intensifying climate change. Worryingly, these emissions are rapidly rising – growth between 2020 and 2021 was higher than the average annual increase over the preceding decade. 

‘The new treatment process for commercial nitrous oxide canisters represents a real step forward in how industry can stop the discharge of this potent greenhouse gas which causes the destruction of the ozone layer,’ said Nicola Henshaw, Director of Hazardous Waste at Veolia UK. ‘By safely treating the gas, and breaking it down into its atmospheric elements, we can limit the environmental impact, and return metals for recycling.’

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Image: EvilHom3r