CONSUMERS across the UK are today (Monday 26 October) being urged to “join the fight against Zombie batteries” in a bid to tackle the growing number of fires caused by carelessly discarded dead batteries.

Harlow Council and Veolia support the new national Take Charge campaign, which urges consumers to only recycle dead batteries using specialist battery recycling services, and to never throw batteries away alongside general rubbish or other recycling.

Harlow residents can recycle used batteries by removing them from devices and taking them to battery recycling collection points at their local Household Waste Recycling Centre or at major supermarkets. Residents living in houses (not flats or communal properties) can also put them out for collection as long as they are presented in a separate small box or bag labelled ‘batteries’ and placed on top of or next to the black wheelie bin or purple bags. Batteries should never be mixed with other waste in any collection containers.

Dead batteries thrown away with other waste and recycling, which the campaign refers to as “zombie batteries”, are likely to be crushed or punctured once the waste is collected and processed. Some battery types in particular, like lithium-ion (Li-ion) and nickel-metal Hydride (NiMH), can ignite or even explode when they’re damaged. Once this happens, the batteries can quickly set fire to other materials present in the waste, like paper, leading to serious incidents that put lives at risk.

Although safe to use normally, powerful lithium-ion batteries are typically the most dangerous if they are not recycled properly. These batteries are often found in products like laptops, tablets, mobile phones, radio-controlled toys, Bluetooth devices, shavers, electric toothbrushes, power tools, scooters and even e-cigarettes.

The recycling and waste management trade body, the Environmental Services Association (ESA), which launched the campaign, conducts an annual survey of its members to record the proportion of fires occurring at recycling and waste facilities that are known or thought to have been started by lithium-ion batteries in particular.

Recent data collected by the ESA shows that, between April 2019 and March 2020, lithium-ion batteries alone were thought to be responsible for more than 250 fires at its members’ facilities during the year – or well over a third (38%) of all fires.

Members of the ESA hope that by encouraging the public to recycle batteries responsibly, it will reduce the number of “zombie batteries” present in general waste and recycling, thereby reducing the number of fires in future.

Gavin Graveson, Executive Vice President at Veolia UK and Ireland says:
“Battery induced fires are a serious and unfortunately, growing hazard that Veolia is combatting. We are asking people to take extra care when recycling their old electronics. The average UK resident throws away around 24.5 kg of electronics every year. These materials, if treated properly can be a gift to the planet, returning valuable resources back to safe collection points to be used again.”
Councillor Danny Purton, portfolio holder for environment at Harlow Council said: “We know that most people want to do the right thing with their waste but unfortunately a great many of the batteries thrown away in Harlow are not being recycled properly. Fires caused by carelessly discarded batteries endanger lives; cause costly damage and disrupt waste services. We urge all residents to please recycle batteries responsibly by taking them to their local recycling centre, major supermarkets or using the household collections available to them. The battery recycling services available for each household can be checked at www.harlow.gov.uk/bins-and-recycling.”

Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association (ESA), Jacob Hayler said: “Unfortunately, the majority of batteries thrown away in the UK at the moment are not recycled properly. Fires caused by carelessly discarded batteries endanger lives; cause millions of pounds of damage and disrupt waste services. We urge consumers to please recycle batteries responsibly by using widely available local battery recycling services.”

Take Charge is supported by the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC).

Mark Andrews, NFCC Waste Fires Lead and Assistant Chief Fire Officer of East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Batteries in household waste and recycling can lead to large scale and protracted fires. These incidents are often very challenging for fire services to deal with and can cause significant disruption to communities. “Many people may not realise the importance of the correct disposal of batteries so this simple advice can make a real difference in preventing waste fires”

Consumers can find out more about the dangers of Zombie Batteries, by visiting the campaign website at www.takecharge.org.uk