Battery fires: an ‘epidemic’ demanding urgent action

ESA says collection system for waste batteries is “inadequate”, and calls on policy makers to implement “universal, producer-funded, kerbside collections”

The improper disposal of batteries is leading to an “epidemic of fires” in refuse vehicles and waste facilities, according to a report from the Environmental Services Association (ESA). 

Some six billion batteries were thrown away across the UK last year said the ESA, many in discarded electrical devices such as electric toothbrushes, razors, mobile phones and electronic vapes.

According to the National Fire Chiefs Council, there were more than 1,200 battery-related fires in refuse vehicles or waste facilities over a 12-month period between 2023/24 – a 71% increase in similar incidents on the preceding 12 months.

There has also been steep growth in the costs associated with battery-related fires, from £150 million per annum in 2021 to over £1 billion today.

A national poll in 2023 conducted by Yonder found that the majority of UK consumers “did not feel confident about how to safely dispose of batteries or electronic products containing them”. 

Jacob Hayler, ESA Executive Director, said that waste fires caused by batteries “not only endanger the lives of people working in essential frontline services but also destroy vital infrastructure; threaten the natural environment and undermine the vitality and viability of businesses involved in the UK’s circular economy”.

He said: “The current collection system for Waste Electricals and Electronic Equipment and waste batteries is inadequate, which is why the ESA is calling on policy makers to implement universal, producer-funded, kerbside collections for batteries and small waste electrical.”

Lucy Kemp, Biffa’s Public Affairs and Engagement Manager, said that to help prevent fires, “empty vapes should not be put in general waste or recycling bins. Instead return them to vape shops, supermarkets and household waste recycling centres.”

She added that there are “four to five fires in refuse collection vehicles every day” and that Biffa experienced at least 60 fires each month from June to August this year across its fleet and facilities.

“When it comes to the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries…refuse workers and members of the public are being exposed to [increasing] risks…” 

Phil Pinnington, Head of Audit and Consultancy at the British Safety Council, cited e-bikes and e-scooters as “redefining occupational safety risks for the 21st century”. He said: “When it comes to the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries, we know that refuse workers and members of the public are being exposed to risks growing in both frequency and severity.”

Pinnington called for the introduction of proactive measures to keep workers safe, such as complying with the Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009, which “clearly mandates the proper segregation and control of batteries".

Simon Jones, Chief Engineer at Warwick Manufacturing Group, a department at Warwick University, and an expert on battery safety, said arrangements for the domestic disposal of lithium-ion batteries were “inadequate”.

He said: “When mixed in with conventional waste they can easily be short circuited, or may be crushed by waste compaction systems.  Sometimes this will result in the rapid release of the remaining energy in the battery, which can ignite the waste around it and cause a serious fire.

“We suggest labelling on devices to inform users that they must be disposed of via an approved route; more public information campaigns; and urgently considering how a safe and convenient disposal route can be introduced so that people do not use normal household bins.”