“A growing problem” • May become the producers’ responsibility to collect the nitrous oxide tubes
Several municipalities are raising the alarm about escalating costs for handling nitrous oxide tubes.
In Gothenburg, the cost has increased fivefold in two years and now they want to make the producers share in the cost.
– The vast majority of municipalities I have contact with are talking about an avalanche-like increase, says Camilla Nilsson, advisor for hazardous waste at the industry organization Avfall Sweden.
Three years ago, waste management in Gothenburg had barely seen a nitrous oxide tube. Now handling them eats up 60 percent of the municipality’s budget for hazardous waste.
– It’s very strange. We see very clearly in our statistics that from the turn of the year 2021 to 2022 it just went away and we have no explanation. But since the turn of the year, it has increased significantly year by year, says Anders Lisle, process manager for water and waste, City of Gothenburg.
Four tons of nitrous oxide in one month
In Gothenburg, the annual cost has risen from one million kroner in 2022 to four million last year and is expected to be at least five million this year. There are also fears that the trend will continue to increase. As recently as June, a new record was set when four tons of nitrous oxide were collected.
And Gothenburg is not alone. Malmö sees a similar increase in costs and Stockholm does not have an aggregate figure but notices that more tubes are coming in for recycling.
Camilla Nilsson is an advisor for hazardous waste at the industry organization Avfall Sweden, and she says that even though the metropolitan regions have the biggest problem, the amount of nitrous oxide is increasing across the country.
– It is a growing problem. The vast majority of municipalities I am in contact with talk about an avalanche-like increase in nitrous oxide within their municipalities and thus also the costs, she says.
May be the producers responsibility to collect
In Gothenburg, the municipality has now requested that the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency supervise so that those who manufacture the recreational gas tubes take their producer responsibility. Producer responsibility means that those who manufacture a product also take responsibility for the care of the packaging.
– The producers would still have the freedom to decide how the waste should be collected. They can introduce a deposit system or simply give the municipality compensation for the collection, but then we have to have an agreement with them, says Anders Lisle.