CIWM Early Careers Ambassador Laura Fisher, Contract Operations Manager at FCC Environment, explains battery fires can be prevented and their impact on circular economy efforts.
When you think of batteries, what first comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the AA batteries in the back of the TV remote, but what about your smart gadget, electric toothbrush or even birthday card? Batteries are used more than you think.
The UK has worked tirelessly to increase and simplify recycling across the country. Successive governments have introduced legislation to ensure that there is circularity amongst the sector, which has reshaped how materials are produced, used, reused and recycled.
The sector is working hard to keep valuable resources in circulation for longer, but the waste streams we’re handling are becoming increasingly complex, with the rapid growth of battery-powered devices being one of the biggest contributors.
Lithium-ion batteries appear constantly in day-to-day life – from smartphones to children’s toys to disposable vapes – a lot of the time without full understanding from the consumer.
Their rise is due to the push towards, but they’re creating a significant risk to the waste and resource sector. Battery-related fires impact collection services, recycling facilities and waste transfer operations.
Fires caused by a binned battery or vape have been publicly reported in the UK every nine days this year, and incidents are are still increasing, creating a risk to people, infrastructure and environment.
They are becoming a significant barrier to delivering a safe and resilient circular economy. Any item containing a lithium-ion battery was designed to be convenient for the consumer; however, limited public awareness means many of these items continue to be disposed of incorrectly.
Once these batteries enter a collection vehicle or the processing facility, they become a hidden and impending ignition source. Lithium-ion batteries tend to ignite following damage or overheating. This process is known as thermal runaway and creates intense heat, which then causes fire to spread rapidly to surrounding materials.
Throughout all parts of the waste collection, sorting and treatment process, there is potential for batteries to be damaged. In the back of the collection vehicles, the waste is compacted. While inside a transfer station, the waste is moved around by large loading shovels.
Once transported to the sorting facilities, the material is tossed around inside trommels, screens and shredders. This means that a huge number of staff across the waste and resource sector are exposed to this risk throughout the entire process, and while there are several emergency procedures in place to help minimise the consequences, we as a sector cannot manage the root cause.
The immediate concern when it comes to these batteries is the safety of employees, contractors and emergency workers. However, the consequences extend far beyond this.
A fire at a Materials Recycling Facility can result in significant damage to buildings and equipment, leading to prolonged shutdowns and then substantial financial losses for local councils and waste companies. All this subsequently impacts residents, sometimes without their full understanding.
There are also the associated environmental costs – large volumes of recyclable materials being destroyed, contaminated fire water and emissions being released are also an increased concern from battery fires.
Our sector measures success through recycling rates, carbon savings and resource efficiency. However, when facilities are damaged by fires, the circular economy suffers.
In response to the growing battery concern, the waste and recycling sector has invested heavily to tackle this challenge. Many sites are now utilising thermal imaging cameras, heat detection systems and automated fire suppression.
Staff training has also increased, so employees know how to identify batteries, and inspections have increased. While these have helped to reduce the risk, they only tackle the consequences of battery fires as opposed to the root cause. Waste operators can’t solve this problem alone; batteries must be prevented from entering the waste stream in the first place.
Addressing the growing problem of battery fires requires action from across the entire product lifecycle. The responsibility cannot sit solely with the waste and resource sector; it needs to be shared by everyone involved with designing, manufacturing, selling, using and recovering these battery-powered products.
First, products need to be designed with safe end-of-life management in mind. Batteries must be clearly labelled, so they’re easily identifiable and simpler to remove. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) presents an opportunity to drive these improvements and place greater emphasis on safe recovery and disposal.
Second, battery recycling must be made convenient for consumers. Having consistent collection systems and accessible and recognisable drop-off points are essential if we are to successfully divert batteries and battery-powered products from residual waste streams.
Third, greater public awareness is needed. The majority of people don’t know how many everyday items contain lithium-ion batteries or how to dispose of them safely. Clear messaging locally and nationally is required if we want behaviours to change.
Battery fires highlight an important message for the circular economy: sustainability and safety are intrinsically linked. The waste and resource sector has invested heavily in protecting people, infrastructure and the environment from this hidden risk, but we cannot continue alone.
Long-term success depends on safety being considered at every stage and not being treated as an afterthought. If the circular economy is to thrive and reach its full potential, it must be built on systems that are not only sustainable but also safe.
After all, safety is not a barrier to sustainability; it is what makes sustainability possible.
