Seven bin lorry fires in Greater Cambridge this year caused by discarded batteries

Householders are again being reminded to dispose of batteries safely and responsibly after seven fires involving bin lorries this year.

When batteries are put into wheelie bins they can get crushed or damaged when emptied into a lorry, leading to explosions and fires, the Greater Cambridge Shared Waste partnership (GCSW) said.

Lithium-ion batteries found in mobile phones, vapes, and power packs on electric bikes or scooters have all caused fires in the back of bin lorries in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire since January.

These include recent fires that have broken out in the back of trucks in Great Shelford, near Rose Crescent in Cambridge and on the edge of Orchard Park/King’s Hedges.

Head of Greater Cambridge Shared Waste, Bode Esan, said: “We’re seeing an increasing number of fires in the back of our trucks, and most are caused by batteries being put into wheelie bins.

“The compacting process in the back of bin lorries can easily crush and split batteries – which go on to ignite or even cause an explosion.

“Whenever a fire breaks out in the back of one of our trucks, our crews are put in danger as they must rapidly find a safe place to unload the recycling or waste to stop the fire engulfing the lorry. Any member of the public around the vehicle is of course also put at risk.

“We’re hugely grateful to Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue for their prompt assistance on many recent occasions but we should all do our bit to prevent them being needed.”

Small household batteries can be put in a small plastic bag, tied shut and left on the top of any of your household wheelie bins on collection day. Meanwhile, larger batteries, like e-bike batteries, can be taken to the county’s Household Recycling Centres – where vapes should also be taken.

Residents of flats with shared bins should not leave small household batteries on these but instead, can take them to one of the many public battery collection points at corner shop chains, supermarkets, chemists, and petrol stations as well as those at recycling points and Household Recycling Centres.

Station commander Gareth Boyd added: “We wholeheartedly support the message to dispose of batteries safely and not throw in household bins. We are seeing an increase across the county of fires in waste collection trucks and these fires can be easily prevented by residents and businesses disposing of batteries correctly and separately from household waste.

“If our crews are attending these fires, it will delay us attending a house fire or other emergency where someone’s life could be in danger.”

The GCWS partnership collects recycling and rubbish from around 131,000 households in Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire.