Recorded lithium-ion battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites rose 475% between 2019 and 2025.
The data, analysed by Compare and Recycle, also found that around one in five in the UK have at some point binned a lithium-ion battery device via their general household waste or recycling bin.
Lithium-ion batteries are hugely flammable – known to appear to spontaneously combust, overheat and explode and be near impossible to put out – even with fire service in attendance, due to the nature of the chemical fire.
When damaged, crushed or compacted, lithium ion batteries can ignite unexpectedly, taking down an entire conveyor belt of waste (or even more) with them.
Importantly, more than half of those surveyed say they have never been given clear guidance on how to dispose of a battery-operated device safely.
Sion Slaymaker, Area manager at Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said: “Lithium-ion batteries power many everyday items, including mobile phones, laptops, e-bikes and power tools, but when they are damaged, incorrectly charged or disposed of in household waste and recycling bins, they can cause fires that develop rapidly and are difficult to extinguish.
“We continue to see the risks these incidents pose, including at waste and recycling facilities and in refuse collection vehicles, where they can put workers, communities and emergency responders at risk.“
In the UK, it’s illegal to put unwanted batteries or any device containing a battery in your general household waste or recycling bin. Under UK law, these items are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), so they must be taken to a council collection point, recycling centre or retailer take-back scheme instead.
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