The Metro Vancouver Regional District wants people to safely dispose of the canisters, which were recently flagged for recall by Health Canada because the gas is being used as a drug.

Dramatic footage shows the moment a gas canister exploded at a recycling centre in Cornwall. CCTV from inside the centre captures the dramatic moment as a fire breaks out inside the centre in Bodmin.

VANCOUVER — Canisters of nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, sold under the guise of whip cream chargers are increasingly showing up at Metro Vancouver waste facilities, and they're causing ...

Nitrous oxide canisters that have shown up at Metro Vancouver waste facilities and are suspected to have caused explosions are shown in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Metro ...

As waste fires linked to batteries and vapes rise, operators are warning of another growing threat: discarded 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.