Residents urged to keep batteries out of household bins

Stevenage Borough Council is urging residents to stop disposing of batteries and battery-powered devices in household bins, following a series of narrowly avoided fire incidents.

The latest took place on Wednesday (3 September), where a refuse vehicle returned to the Cavendish Road depot with a smell of smoke coming from the rear. Once the contents of the vehicle had been emptied, three batteries were found.

This follows a lithium battery that was found smouldering in a refuse vehicle on 21 August.

Lithium-ion batteries (or Li-ion batteries) are commonly used in portable electronics and electric vehicles. However, when these items are placed in kerbside recycling or refuse containers, the risk of them being damaged and igniting a fire is increased.

There are several options for safely disposing of both electrical items and batteries, including Stevenage Recycling Centre, local collection points at supermarkets, and takeback schemes with retailers.

Councillor Rob Broom, Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change, said:

“Unfortunately, fires in refuse and recycling vehicles are on the increase and they pose a serious safety risk to our crews, officers and to the public.

“Our message is clear: batteries do not belong in your kerbside refuse and recycling containers. Please dispose of them responsibly, either at a recycling centre, supermarket collection point or through a retailer takeback scheme.”

Residents can find out more about disposing electrical items online at: www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/.

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The information contained in this press release was correct on the date of issue.