There were over 1,200 battery fires in bin lorries and at waste sites in the UK in 2023, an increase of 71% from 700 in 2022, according to research by Material Focus.
Material Focus said battery fires in bin lorries and at waste sites in the UK have reached “an all-time high”.
A survey of local authorities across the UK has found that 94% said that fires caused by batteries in the waste stream were an increasing challenge, Material Focus said.
Commenting on the research, Phil Clark from the National Fire Chiefs Council, said: “Fires involving the incorrect disposal of lithium-ion batteries are a disaster waiting to happen.
“Fire services are seeing an increasing number of incidents, but they are preventable by correctly and carefully disposing of electricals.”
Fire services are seeing an increasing number of incidents, but they are preventable by correctly and carefully disposing of electricals.
New research from Recycle Your Electricals, a campaign delivered by Material Focus, conducted by Opinium, shows that over 1.1 billion electricals and 449.9 million loose batteries were thrown away in the last year, including 260 million vapes.
On average, UK adults threw away at least 24 batteries, including 15 electricals containing batteries and 9 loose batteries.
Nearly half of UK adults did not know or hadn’t heard that electrical items containing chargeable built-in batteries can catch fire if crushed or damaged, the research found.
Scott Butler, Executive Director of Recycle Your Electricals, commented: “With more and more products containing lithium-ion batteries, and battery fires on the rise, it’s vital that we stop these fires and reduce the air pollution impact that they have on our local communities and the dangers they present to firefighters and waste officers.”
