Zombie Batteries Increases Fire Risks in Waste and Recycling Sites

Zombie batteries are causing fires at waste and recycling sites, The Guardian reported. Industry experts are urging people to avoid throwing away old batteries in their household.

Zombie batteries should be disposed at special battery recycling services and not on waste or recycling bins because hazardous waste might leak from them during the processing, according to the Environmental Services Association (ESA).

Several battery types could explode and catch fire. Examples of which are nickel-metal hydride batteries and lithium-ion batteries that are used in electric toothbrushes, laptops, and other gadgets.

Fires in the Waste And Recycling Sites

Lithium-ion batteries are believed to have caused more than 250 fires at recycling sites and waste facilities in the United Kingdom from April 2019 until March this year. That accounts for more than one-third of all fires reported or about 38%, based on ESA figures on Monday.

But experts noted that this figure might actually be lower than the real numbers as the exact amount is hard to identify in recycling sites. This year, the French recycling and waste disposal company named Veolia, which serves over 25 local governments in the UK, said fires in waste vehicles increased by 37.5% since 2017.

As more products become battery-operated, fires in waste and recycling sites will only worsen.

"Fires caused by carelessly discarded batteries endanger lives, cause millions of pounds of damage and disrupt waste services," said ESA's executive director Jacob Hayler.

Industry experts urge people to recycle zombie batteries responsibly by using battery recycling points and centers. According to ESA's new campaign called Take Charge, they give information on where to recycle zombie batteries responsibly, and they ask people to join the fight against improper disposal of zombie batteries.

Likewise, the leader of the National Fire Chiefs Council for the waste fires efforts, Mark Andrews, said that batteries in household waste and recycling sites could lead to large-scale fires, which are often challenging for the fire services to put out and could also cause significant damages or disruption to communities.

Take Charge Campaign: Beware of Zombie Batteries

Take Charge is ESA's newly launched campaign on Monday supported by the National fire Chiefs Council, according to iNews. It aims to warn people to be aware of the possible dangers of zombie batteries that can damage the environment even after they are spent or no longer used.

Jacob Hyler, the executive director of ESA, said that fires in the waste and recycling facilities are caused by the carelessly thrown used batteries, which endanger lives that can cause millions of costs of damages and disrupt waste services.

"We urge consumers to please recycle batteries responsibly by using battery recycling points in shops and recycling centres, or a separate battery kerbside collection if available," he added.

Visit the Take Charge website to view more information about the recycling facilities for batteries nearby and how to do it responsibly.