Did you know, most fires that break out in bin trucks or at recycling and waste facilities are caused by household batteries, disposable BBQs, or other highly explosive or flammable items that have been thrown into the bin?
Nitrous oxide cylinders, often used recreationally, and the tiny lithium ion batteries contained in other small electrical items such as rechargable vapes/e-cigarettes, have all been known to start fires in collection trucks and waste sorting depots. That’s because the weight of the waste in the collection truck can damage them easily, causing them to burst into flames frighteningly fast, putting lives at risk.
How to dispose of flammable items
To avoid this danger, please set aside all types of batteries and do not place inside household bins. Please present separately inside a small plastic bag on bin day. The crew will place them in a safe place on the truck away from the weight of the waste, avoiding the risk of fire.
Similarly, if you find any discarded nitrous oxide cylinders littering the street, they are highly explosive and so please leave them there and contact our street cleaning team.
Disposable BBQs pose a fire risk when warm, so make sure they are cold before placing inside your rubbish bin this summer.
Head to our electricals and batteries page to find out more