Don’t let your old batteries go up in smoke

While many of us are already recycling, over 1.6 billion batteries were thrown away last year. That’s over 3,000 binned batteries a minute – including over 1.1bn electricals containing hidden lithium-ion batteries!

There are hidden batteries inside all rechargeable electricals, vapes and some tech that can cause dangerous fires in bin lorries and on waste sites. Battery fires in the UK have reached an all time high – over 1,200 in the last year, an increase of 71% from 700 in 2022.

How do battery fires start?

• If binned, the battery or electrical item is emptied into the bin lorry with your household rubbish
• The lorry’s powerful ‘compacting blade’ compresses the rubbish together in the back of the vehicle so that it can fit more in
• If the battery gets crushed or damaged in this process, air and water can react together with the chemicals and batteries begin to spark which can start a fire! Battery fires are particularly dangerous as the lithium in them releases its own oxygen. This intensifies the fire and makes it more difficult to extinguish.

With the steep rise in the number of portable electrical items containing lithium-ion batteries comes significant fire risk if they are binned instead of being recycled.  Lithium-ion batteries are hidden inside many everyday household electricals, from laptops, mobile phones and tablets, to electric toothbrushes, vapes and earpods.

Nearly half of UK adults don’t know that binning batteries and electricals with batteries can lead to serious and dangerous fires.

These fires are endangering lives, having a significant impact on local communities and causing air pollution spikes. Read the latest research by Recycle Your Electricals.

What can you do to prevent a fire?

Follows these simple steps:

❌Never throw loose batteries or electricals containing  batteries in your rubbish bin.

✅Always recycle your batteries separately, either at:

• A local collection point. Use the postcode locator to find your nearest recycling point.
• Your household recycling collection, if your local authority provides this service. Please check with your local authority to see if you can recycle batteries at home and for guidance on how to recycle them.
• Your local Recycling Centre

Anything with a plug, battery or cable can be reused or recycled, including the plugs, batteries and cables themselves. Broken electricals may be repairable – try your nearest Repair Cafe to see if they can be fixed before you recycle them.

So remember, never bin batteries or electricals. Always recycle them correctly and safely.