PURPOSE: To cut a container of radioactive wastes without producing wastes such as chips, globules, etc. by means of a distant manipulation pushing a rotary cutter to the circumference of a container in such a state that they can rotate together and without antifriction material.

CONSTITUTION: A rotary cutter used is composed of a rotary cutter 26 with an actute edge and a rotary cutter 7 with an obtuse edge. On the external circumference of the outer tube 9 of a container 10 which is pushed by the cutter 26 in such a state that they can rotate together a V-form grove 9b is formed by means of plastic deformation. Then, the cutter 26 is let back to a non-cutting location, pushed to the groove 9b in such a state that the cutter and the container rotate together and the width of this groove is enlarged and the outer tube 9 of the container 10 is cut and divided into an upper part and a lower one. In this method the container can be cut without exhausting chips and globules polluted by radioactive materials and without using antifriction material. Therefore processing for secondary wastes is not required.