Warning as bin lorry fires sparked by vape and battery

A warning has been issued that the safety of waste and recycling operatives is being jeopardised by batteries and vapes discarded with household rubbish. Recently, two bin lorries caught fire in the Stroud area due to a battery and a vape that had been irresponsibly thrown out with household waste.

The incidents occurred while Ubico, the council's waste and recycling partner, was collecting waste from Rodborough and Cashes Green in August. After the bins' contents were compacted, smoke was seen billowing from the back of the trucks.

Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service attended both incidents to extinguish the fires and investigate their causes.

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A Ubico spokesperson said: "If it wasn't for the quick action of the crew this could have been a much more serious incident, putting the safety of the crew and members of the public at risk. 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."

Cllr Chloe Turner, Stroud District Council's Chair of Environment Committee said: "Batteries, vapes and electrical items should never be put in household waste or recycling containers. They can explode and cause fires when crushed, endangering the safety of the Ubico crews and causing serious environmental and health risks.

"They can be disposed of at various locations across the district including most supermarkets, and at household waste and recycling centres. If you don't know how to dispose of an item there is a useful Waste Wizard page on the council's website that explains how to dispose of any item safely: www.stroud.gov.uk/wastewizard:orange."

More than 1,200 battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites were reported across the UK last year, according to Recycle Your Electricals. If batteries cannot be removed from a device, such as vapes or calculators, they should be taken to a household recycling centre.

When purchasing a new electrical product, the retailer is obliged to accept the old one on a like-for-like basis. Retailers with a sales area for electrical and electronic equipment exceeding 400 square metres are required to accept small electrical items for disposal.

Mark Preece, Chief Fire Officer at Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service, said: "It's extremely important that residents do not dispose of batteries, vapes and electrical items in their household waste or recycling containers. This can be extremely dangerous and put people's safety at risk as they can explode when crushed and cause fires.

"I would urge people to please dispose of these items safely at a recycling centre or check with your local supermarket if they have a recycling bank suitable for vapes, to avoid causing potentially serious incidents."