Fires inside waste collection trucks are happening more often than ever. They’re caused by hidden, highly flammable items that have been thrown into household or communal bins. When these items are crushed inside the truck, they ignite very easily.
In Mole Valley a fire recently broke out in a recycling truck, just before it reached the tipping station. When Surrey Fire and Rescue put out the fire, they found butane gas and nitrous oxide canisters and unused fireworks in amongst the recycling. Luckily, nobody was hurt.
Protect waste workers
This is a frightening reminder that highly flammable items must always be disposed of separately, and not placed inside household or communal bins. This is to protect collection crews from fires breaking out either in transit or when the waste is being handled by staff at the recycling facility.
How to dispose of hazardous items
Always take gas canisters of all types to your local community recycling centre (CRC) or contact the company you bought them from to see if they can collect for disposal.
Never place unused fireworks in bins, they ignite easily. Used fireworks must be soaked for 48 hours before placing in the rubbish bin.
Batteries must also be disposed of separately and we offer a weekly collection service for those, along with collections for small electronic items such as old mobile phones, headphones, power banks, electric toothbrushes, and toys.
If you’re unsure of how to dispose of an item, use the Surrey Recycles search tool for the correct information. It only takes a few seconds and could prevent a fire.