Warning over ‘zombie batteries’ from East Sussex Fire and Rescue

East Sussex Fire and Rescue (ESFRS) has backed the new national Take Charge campaign – urging consumers to recycle dead batteries through specialist battery recycling services.

It says people should never throw batteries away alongside general rubbish or other recycling.

The campaign refers to ‘zombie batteries’ - dead batteries that are thrown away with other waste and recycling.

It says these batteries are likely to be crushed or punctured once the waste is collected and processed. Some battery types in particular, like lithium-ion and nickel-metal hydride, 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, leading to serious incidents that put lives at risk.

The service says that although lithium-ion batteries are normally safe, they are typically the most dangerous if they are not recycled properly. These batteries are often found in products like laptops, mobile phones, shavers, 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 from ESA shows that between April 2019 and March 2020, lithium-ion batteries were thought to be responsible for more than 250 fires at its members’ facilities during the year – that is 38 per cent 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, and therefore reduce the number of fires in future.

Jacob Hayler, executive director of ESA, 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.”

Mark Andrews, from ESFRS, 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.”

Anyone wanting more information about the campaign can go to www.takecharge.org.uk