Metro Vancouver is warning the public about the dangers of not properly disposing of nitrous oxide canisters.

The items, such as laughing gas or whippets, are ending up in the garbage and officials say they are exploding, posing serious risks to workers and equipment.

“What we’re seeing is that individuals and potentially businesses are inappropriately disposing of nitrous oxide cylinders in the garbage, and this is creating a significant impact on the regional solid waste system,” Paul Henderson, the general manager of Solid Waste Services for Metro Vancouver, said.

“And then the second thing we want to communicate is that those cylinders can be dropped off for free if they’re empty at our regional solid waste facilities that are spread around the region.”

Henderson said the cylinde

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