Battery Fire at Wastecare Facility Sparks Safety Warning
Last night we had a small fire at our Normanton WEEE treatment facility. Our safety systems detected the blaze immediately, and the fire service was on hand to bring it under control. Most importantly, no injuries or casualties were reported, and all staff are safe. Damage was limited to our inbound storage bunker.
Following our initial investigation, the source of ignition looks to be a Lithium battery within an electrical appliance that was delivered to site earlier in the day. Unfortunately, this is yet another reminder of the dangers of the ubiquitous portable Lithium batteries. Lithium battery related fires are becoming increasingly frequent, both in homes and across the waste management sector. Lithium batteries, especially when hidden in electrical appliances, deposited at civic amenity sites, are the leading source of fires in the UK today.
Industry research has shown that batteries are now responsible for hundreds of fires in waste facilities across the UK each year. The Environmental Services Association has previously estimated that lithium batteries are the cause of more than 200 fires annually in recycling and waste management sites, while the charity Material Focus reported that fires linked to batteries cost the UK tens of millions of pounds every year.
This incident highlights the need for everyone, businesses and consumers alike, to take extra care when disposing of batteries. Batteries should never go into general waste or recycling bins. Instead, they should always be segregated and placed into the correct recycling containers to ensure they are handled safely.
By recycling batteries responsibly, we can prevent dangerous fires, protect waste sector personnel, while helping the environment and recovering valuable metals for reuse.
While this incident was managed quickly and safely, it underlines a challenge the whole industry is facing. Fires caused by batteries are rising year on year, and many could be avoided with better awareness and simple steps at the point of disposal. We will continue to work with our customers, partners, and the wider public to encourage correct segregation of batteries and to support safe recycling practices.
