Disposal of batteries
Summary
Residents are being warned not to discard batteries at home after a fire was started in a recycling truck.
Safe disposal of batteries (a further reminder!)
Residents are being warned not to discard batteries at home after a fire was started in a recycling truck.
The incident occurred when a crew from Stroud District Council’s waste and recycling partner, Ubico, was collecting recycling in Stonehouse earlier this month. After the contents of a bin had been deposited and then compacted, the crew heard an explosion and saw smoke coming from the back of the truck.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended and extinguished the fire. It is thought that the cause was a discarded battery or an e-cigarette. Hundreds of fires are caused by crushed or damaged batteries and gas cylinders incorrectly discarded in waste and recycling trucks and recycling centres across the UK every year.
Batteries, vapes, and electrical items should never be put in household waste or recycling containers. They can explode and cause fires when crushed, so they need to be disposed of separately. They can be disposed of at various locations across the district, including most supermarkets and household waste and recycling centres.
Use the Stroud District Council’s Waste Wizard to find out how to dispose of batteries, vapes and all electrical items safely.