COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF RATHFARNHAM / TEMPLEOGUE / FIRHOUSE / BOHERNABREENA AREA COMMITTEE

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

QUESTION NO.2

QUESTION: Councillor L.Guéret

To ask the Manager what is the safest way of disposing of Nitrous Oxide Cannisters, and if SDCC would consider providing specific bins for these dumped nitrous oxide containers at key locations in the Rathfarnham/Templeogue/Firhouse/Bohernabreena area, so that they can be disposed of in the safest way, as residents and business people are faced with the problem of disposing of them when they are dumped on their properties, and also if SDCC would consider a public awareness campaign to alert residents of South County Dublin to the safest way of dealing with this ever increasing problem for the area.

REPLY:

The recommended way to dispose of Nitrous Oxide Cannisters is at the nearest recycling centre such as Ballymount Civic Amenity Centre. If members of the public disposing of these cannisters at Ballymount are uncertain whether the canisters are empty, they should be left in the cages designated for gas bottles. If it is known that they are fully empty, they may be deposited directly into the metal recycling stream area. For those unable to use their nearest recycling centre, the website for Ireland’s official guide to managing your waste at www.mywaste.ie states that it is acceptable to place such containers in the general waste bin. These are then extracted during the waste treatment process and recycled as metal. 

The Council will explore the possibility of putting an arrangement in place for the public to dispose of these cannisters at a designated Local Authority site in the county. An awareness campaign by SDCC can be developed regarding the disposal of nitrous oxide cannisters. The Council has also sought information from the Regional Waste Management Project Office regarding any regional or national awareness campaigns that are to be planned in the future regarding this issue.