Battery fires at recycling centres are costing UK £1bn a year, figures show
Recycling centers in the UK are facing a crisis as improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries, particularly from vapes, cause frequent and costly fires. These incidents are putting lives at risk and costing the industry approximately £1 billion annually.
Why it matters
The surge in battery-related fires highlights a critical safety and economic challenge in waste management as consumer reliance on lithium-ion technology grows.
Vape ignites and sets paper alight Recycling 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
Prefer the Guardian on Google 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 is putting lives at risk, costing £1bn a year and frustrating fire chiefs.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in