Never bin batteries!

Blaby District Council is reminding residents to never bin batteries, vapes or electricals after a blaze broke out in a recycling lorry. 

The lorry was on its rounds in Glen Parva when crew members realised the load was on fire. Quick action to empty the load in the bus lane on Lutterworth Road ensured no staff or members of the public were harmed.  

However, the incident required a major clear-up operation, leading to traffic disruption with both the fire service and the police called out to help deal with the aftermath. The cause was likely to be batteries collected during an earlier recycling pick-up. 

While this type of incident has been extremely rare locally, improperly binned batteries, vapes and electricals are increasingly causing fires in waste and recycling lorries as well as waste transfer sites across the UK, putting lives at risk, damaging essential equipment and polluting communities. 

With so many modern items containing batteries - some of them ‘hidden’ in vapes, toys and toothbrushes - it can be easy to discard a potentially dangerous device without realising it. 

However, if these items are binned and emptied into a refuse lorry with the household rubbish or recycling, they can prove extremely hazardous. 

The powerful compactor in the lorry continually compresses the contents together in the back of the vehicle so that it can fit more in. 

If a battery gets crushed or damaged in this process, air and water can react with the internal chemicals and it can begin to spark, starting a fire. 

Battery fires are particularly dangerous as the lithium in them releases its own oxygen. This intensifies the fire and makes it more difficult to extinguish. 

Paul Coates, Blaby District Council Group Manager for Neighbourhood Services, said: "Luckily the fast actions of our crew meant the fire incident was resolved safely, no one was injured and the lorry wasn’t damaged. However, it could have been very different, so we’re sending out a timely reminder to please never bin batteries, vapes or electricals. 

"Always recycle batteries and devices containing batteries separately from your household waste and recycling. They should be taken to a dedicated recycling point - often found in supermarkets, electrical appliance stores and waste centres. Vapes should be taken back to the shop of purchase where they have a duty to accept them. Individual batteries can be put in a clear plastic bag and put on top of your recycling bin for collection." 

* Remember anything with a plug, cable or battery can be recycled or reused – but must be recycled responsibly. For more information visit: Recycle your Electricals (https://recycleyourelectricals.co.uk)