Battery fires at recycling centres are costing UK £1bn a year, figures show
Experts say fires caused by wrongly discarded lithium batteries, such as those in vapes, are putting lives at risk Fires at recycling centres caused by wrongly discarded lithium batteries such as those found in vapes are occurring at the rate of more than 10 a week, according to new figures. Experts say the sheer volume of battery fires now occurring at waste facilities has reached a crisis that…
Battery fires at UK recycling centres are costing the country £1 billion annually, according to recent figures. These fires are primarily caused by improperly discarded lithium batteries, such as those found in e-cigarettes and other small electronic devices. Experts say the frequency of these fires has reached a crisis level, posing risks to both lives and infrastructure.
The Environment Services Association (ESA), a trade body for waste management companies, reported 1,518 battery-related fires in the year leading up to March 2026. Of these, 541 were directly linked to lithium-ion batteries, with another 216 occurring in bin lorries. The ESA believes the actual number of battery-related fires is likely closer to 70%, as many incidents cannot be attributed to a specific cause.
The cost of these fires has skyrocketed from £150 million in 2021 to £1 billion in the present day. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and local fire services have been alarmed by the surge in battery fires, which often require extensive resources to extinguish. The Ilford fire earlier this week, which involved 25 firefighters, serves as a recent example.
Dr. Francesco Restuccia, a fire expert at King’s College London, explained the dangers of improper lithium battery disposal. When a battery is crushed, as frequently happens at recycling centers, internal short circuits occur, causing temperatures to rise until the battery ignites. The ESA conducted an experiment demonstrating the rapid ignition of paper and cardboard when a vape battery is punctured and placed near them. The resulting temperatures reached over 750°C, capable of burning paper for two minutes.
The ESA has called for a £5 deposit scheme on all vape sales to encourage proper disposal and recycling. Patrick Brighty, the head of recycling policy at the ESA, emphasized the epidemic proportions of battery fires in the UK's waste industry, stressing the need for government intervention to protect workers, infrastructure, and the environment.
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