Residents of Lincolnshire are being urged to exercise caution when disposing of used batteries. This follows a worrying report from Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue that highlighted over 70 instances of fires in 2024 at the county’s waste processing facility near Grantham. These fires were attributed to carelessly discarded electronics and batteries. Lincolnshire’s residents are urged by authorities to recycle items with lithium-ion batteries at specially designated household waste recycling centres or drop-off locations at supermarkets.
Dan Moss, Area Manager, underscored the serious hazards of improper disposal, noting, “Such mishandling can have dire consequences. Once ignited, these batteries are significantly hard to extinguish.” A notable episode, traceable to a thrown-away battery, resulted in a bin lorry fire in Ingoldsby in March 2023.
Moss elucidated that fires usually break out when batteries, particularly those from disposable vaping devices, get crushed during general waste processing. The rapid ignition of these batteries poses significant danger as they may quickly set surrounding materials aflame. Besides vapes, essential items such as children’s toys, e-scooters, and electric cars also contain lithium-ion batteries, making their appropriate disposal paramount.
The broader community is urged to stay vigilant and ensure all batteries are responsibly disposed of to avert future incidents.
This story was revised and adapted from the original article by www.bbc.com for The Lincoln Post.
