Warning issued against recycling gas canisters

A warning is being issued for Bridgend County Borough residents not to put any gas canisters, such as those used in camping, out with their kerbside recycling or bin bag collections.

During the past few weeks, several small fires have broken out at the Kier depot in Tondu due to gas canisters exploding when being compressed alongside other materials.

During the heatwave, more and more residents have been eating outdoors using the portable gas stoves that are commonplace in camping and caravanning. Unfortunately, the gas canisters used for these stoves are not suitable for recycling at the kerbside.

Once plastics and metals are collected by the crews, they get compressed at the depot into bails for further processing. Because these cooking gas canisters contain traces of propane or butane, this creates an extremely dangerous combination when they’re compressed alongside flammable materials.

Councillor Hywel Williams, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Deputy Leader

Instead of putting gas canisters out for kerbside recycling collections, residents are advised to take them to the Community Recycling Centres in Maesteg, Tythegston and Brynmenyn.

Councillor Williams added: “As bin bags are also compressed in the back of the refuse vehicles, the safest place to take gas canisters is to your local Community Recycling Centre.”

The council would also like to remind residents that aerosol deodorant cans and other household aerosols such as air fresheners CAN be recycled by being put into the blue recyclable sack along with plastics and metals.

However, flammable aerosol spray paints or industrial aerosol varnishes are NOT suitable for kerbside collections and should instead be taken to Community Recycling Centres.

For further information about recycling in Bridgend County Borough, please visit the Recycle for Bridgend website