Research conducted by not-for-profit organisation Material Focus has revealed that nearly 700 fires each year are caused by batteries that have been thrown into household waste.
The organisation surveyed 60 local authorities around the UK – almost 90% of these authorities admitted that battery-related fires in dustcarts and waste-processing centres were an increasing problem. The sustainability platform Circular reports that part of the issue is that 45% of households are actually unaware of the fire risk around unsafe battery disposal, and up to 25% of households throw them away unsafely.
In particular, lithium-ion batteries are responsible for over 200 (around 48%) of all waste fires occurring in the UK each year. These batteries can explode and cause a fire if damaged or crushed. They are frequently found in rechargeable household items, such as toothbrushes, toys, phones, and laptops.
Speaking to BBC News, Ben Johnson from the Environmental Services Association (ESA) said: “[Lithium-ion batteries] have a tendency – when damaged – to explode or ignite. And when you put them in general rubbish or recycling, they're likely to be crushed, compacted, smashed or they might get wet.
"That can cause them to short-circuit. And, of course, they're then in the presence of other flammable material like plastic, paper, and card and that can lead to quite big fires."
Recent footage from a fire caused by a lithium device at a recycling centre in Aberdeen shows the devastating effects of battery-related fires.
The blaze, which erupted in July, took 118 hours to put out and required over 100 firefighters to tackle. Mark Andrews, the Waste Fires Lead for the National Fire Chiefs Council, said: "We urge people to recycle electricals and batteries and not to dispose of them with general household waste.
"These fires can be challenging for fire services to deal with, have a significant impact on local communities, and present a real risk to staff working on lorries and waste plants.
"Everyone can do their bit and prevent fires by ensuring they dispose of electrical items correctly," he added.
According to the ESA, such fires cost waste operators, fire and rescue services, and the environment up to £158 million per year.
Earlier in November 2022, the British Metals Recycling Association (BMRA) even called for the government to implement a ban on households putting waste electricals and lithium-ion batteries in their kerbside recycling and residual waste bins.
It has requested local councils to carry out separate kerbside collections for residents, where they can discard waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) and also single-use vapes. BMRA added that such a ban could reduce the risk of injury or even death.
With growing concerns over the rise in battery fires, Material Focus has launched a ‘Stop Battery Fires’ campaign to raise awareness of the issue. Over 70 local authorities are believed to be participating.
The Executive Director of Material Focus, Scott Butler, said: “People should never bin their electricals or their portable batteries. If they can, they should remove any hidden batteries from their electricals and recycle the batteries and electricals separately. If they can’t remove the batteries, then they should recycle their electricals separately as always.
“Having listened to the numerous stories of flames engulfing waste and recycling trucks as they drive down residential streets, it’s important that we all take action now to keep our streets, householders, waste and local authority staff, and firefighters safe.
“People can find their nearest recycling point for batteries and electricals by visiting our recycle your electricals website.”