Ghent (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Ghent plans to continue its laughing gas capsule collection project, supported by Mayor Mathias De Clercq and IVAGO. The project aims to reduce waste and safety risks. It led to a 15% drop in incinerator explosions and collected 1,202 capsules in December 2024. Returns will be rewarded with €5 vouchers.
The city of Ghent wants to continue the project of collecting laughing gas capsules because it has been successful. Both the local police and the waste processor IVAGO support this idea. IVAGO has said that a long-term solution is needed since the pilot project showed clear benefits in reducing safety risks and saving money.
IVAGO’s board will make a final decision next month. Officials mentioned that if they approve the project, it could become a regular part of Ghent’s waste management policy. This would help keep explosions at incinerators down and encourage safer ways to dispose of laughing gas capsules.
How did Ghent’s €5 capsule project cut explosions by 15%?
According to Mayor Mathias De Clercq, the project to collect laughing gas capsules has been a success. He mentioned that there has been a 15% drop in explosions at waste-burning plants since it started. In Ghent and Destelbergen, people were encouraged to return large laughing gas capsules to container parks by getting a €5 voucher for each one.
They mentioned that this helped ensure the capsules were disposed of properly instead of being thrown away or left in public areas. The project cost €35,000, which is much less than the repair costs for explosion damage, which can reach €45,000 each time.
“The pilot project works,”
Says Mayor Mathias De Clercq (Voor Gent) after a question from municipal councillor Mathieu Cockhut (N-VA).
“The number of explosions has dropped by 15 percent. The project cost 35,000, which is much less than the repairs.”
In May 2024, IVAGO started a project to collect used laughing gas capsules safely. People can return the metal cartridges to special drop-off points and receive a small reward. According to officials, this project aims to fix 2 main issues, people throwing capsules in regular trash and the growing litter in public places.
More young people are using laughing gas, which has led to many discarded capsules on streets and in parks. By offering a way to return the capsules, IVAGO hopes to help the environment and ensure the capsules are disposed of properly.
Officials mentioned that the project was important for preventing dangerous explosions at waste-burning plants. These explosions can happen when pressurized capsules are not found before burning.
They mentioned that a damaged processing line can take up to 3 days to fix and cost about €45,000. This also puts workers in danger and makes the workplace unsafe. By creating a system to collect the capsules, IVAGO wanted to make workplaces safer and improve waste management while reducing costs for the economy and the environment.
