Lithium Battery Fire Risks in the UK

Responding to the UK's Escalating Battery Fire Problem

A fresh recycling scheme commenced in Herefordshire this month, targeting the substantial fire dangers linked to batteries thrown out carelessly with domestic trash. Across the county, sanitation teams have started separate collections for certain waste categories, covering spent batteries alongside small, non-functional electrical goods. For collection, inhabitants need to position these materials atop their standard refuse or recycling containers. This kerbside collection was established by the council to simplify correct disposal methods. Authorities anticipate this will curb hazardous events affecting collection trucks and waste treatment sites. Batteries, notably the lithium-ion variants prevalent in current electronics, present a considerable ignition threat if managed inappropriately.

Clear Disposal Guidelines for Inhabitants

The local authority issued straightforward directions for participating in the updated service. Small electricals like kettles, toasters, irons, and radios are eligible for pick-up. Users should first extract any batteries from these appliances. The electrical gadget can then be placed on either the waste or recycling bin lid come the designated collection day. Householders must gather all their domestic batteries within a compact, transparent plastic bag. It's crucial this sack rests securely upon the bin's cover. Collection personnel will deposit these sacks and electronics into a specific section of their lorry, facilitating distinct management, safer recycling, and lowering contamination possibilities.

National Fire Data Reveals Sobering Reality

The NFCC lends strong backing to such programs. The Herefordshire authority emphasizes the acute risks of putting batteries into general household refuse or conventional recycling streams. Incorrect disposal commonly results in contamination, greatly elevating the chances of fires starting inside collection vehicles or at refuse sorting centres. Statistics from the NFCC illustrate an alarming pattern: upwards of 1,200 fires connected to wrongly disposed lithium-ion batteries were recorded in the waste system over the twelve months ending May 2024. This figure marks a stark seventy-one percent jump compared to the approximately 700 analogous incidents documented the year before.

The Expanding Threat of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The sharp increase in fires involving batteries aligns with the growing ubiquity of portable gadgets. Devices ranging from mobile handsets and laptops to electric toothbrushes and vaping products utilize potent lithium-ion power sources. Though effective, these batteries can become unstable if subjected to damage. The refuse disposal chain, which includes compression within collection lorries and automated sorting at facilities, frequently inflicts such harm. A lithium-ion battery that is crushed or pierced may undergo thermal runaway, a hazardous chemical process. This reaction releases extreme heat, potentially triggering blasts and ignitions that are notoriously challenging to suppress fully.

Explaining Thermal Runaway

Thermal runaway happens if a battery's internal composition is breached. Harm affecting the slender separator dividing the anode and cathode permits a short circuit. Heat is produced, initiating additional chemical reactions releasing further energy and warmth. This sequence swiftly intensifies, frequently causing the battery to discharge flammable vapors or ignite with explosive force. Lithium-ion power sources also generate their own oxygen while combusting, a property meaning they might reignite even when seemingly put out. Fires involving these cells can continue to smoulder and erupt again over several days, presenting extended dangers to firefighters and the local environment.

Image Credit - BBC

The Challenge of Vape Disposal

Single-use vapes constitute an especially serious dimension of the battery fire issue. Their swift surge in adoption has resulted in millions being thrown away incorrectly every week. A large number of users are unaware that these disposable products incorporate lithium-ion batteries that necessitate specialized recycling. Studies show that roughly seventy-three percent of disposable vaping devices are discarded in regular rubbish bins or dropped as litter. Every discarded vape acts as a potential incendiary device within the waste network. The UK government has acknowledged this particular danger, declaring intentions to prohibit the sale and distribution of disposable vapes, driven partly by fire safety and ecological worries.

Recent Events Underscore the Risks

Actual occurrences frequently illustrate the destructive potential of battery fires throughout the waste process. Firefighters battled a major conflagration last month at a waste transfer point in Braintree, Essex. Believed to have been started by a cast-off lithium-ion battery, the blaze destroyed about 35 tonnes of materials intended for recycling. This event caused not just the destruction of valuable resources but also endangered site personnel and emergency crews. Just weeks earlier, another fire, potentially linked to vapes, created disturbances in Doncaster. Such incidents highlight the pressing requirement for enhanced disposal habits nationwide.

The Responsibility of Local Government

Across the United Kingdom, municipal councils confront mounting difficulties posed by battery fires. A survey indicated that ninety-four percent of these authorities view such fires as an escalating concern. Numerous councils, including Herefordshire, are rolling out specific collection services. Recently, West Berkshire Council, Fife Council, and Dumfries and Galloway Council have also initiated kerbside battery pick-ups. These programs usually require inhabitants to put batteries into specified bags or containers placed on their bin tops. The goal of these schemes is to make proper disposal convenient, thereby redirecting batteries away from the primary waste stream and lessening fire hazards during pick-up and processing. South Kesteven council also has a scheme starting in September 2024.

Waste Management Sector Faces Major Impacts

The industry handling waste management and recycling operates at the forefront of this problem. Businesses encounter considerable operational and monetary strains resulting from battery fires. Blazes inflict damage on high-cost apparatus, such as collection trucks and sorting machinery. They lead to interruptions in business activity and demand expensive remediation efforts. Insurance settlements concerning battery fires can attain extraordinary sums, with certain claims purportedly reaching as high as £20 million. Moreover, these events present grave health and safety threats to individuals employed in the waste sector. Finding and securely extracting batteries concealed within ordinary refuse continues to be a significant hurdle for the industry.

Technological Approaches and Obstacles

Pinpointing hidden batteries amidst huge volumes of waste is problematic. Although tools like thermal imaging cameras aid in finding overheating batteries at processing locations, averting fires during the collection phase remains difficult. Sophisticated sorting technologies are being developed, yet extensive deployment is intricate and expensive. Managing damaged batteries necessitates specialized protocols and safety gear. Even batteries seeming depleted might hold sufficient residual energy to ignite if damaged. This "zombie battery" effect means any improperly discarded power source could potentially start a fire hours, days, or potentially weeks afterwards.

Environmental Effects Beyond Ignition

The ecological repercussions of incorrect battery disposal go further than just fire hazards. Batteries harbor diverse heavy metals and poisonous chemicals, such as lead, mercury, cadmium, zinc, and lithium. When disposed of in landfills, battery casings eventually corrode. These dangerous materials can consequently seep into the earth and underground water sources. Such contamination endangers ecosystems and has the potential to enter the human food supply. Unintentional burning of batteries within waste flows also emits damaging pollutants into the atmosphere. Recycling batteries not only stops pollution but also retrieves useful materials, diminishing the demand for energy-intensive extraction of new resources.

Economic Consequences of Battery Handling

Throwing away batteries results in the forfeiture of precious raw elements like lithium, cobalt, nickel, and manganese. These substances are limited resources, frequently extracted from ecologically sensitive regions. Recycling recovers these elements, enabling their repurposing in new items and fostering a circular economy. This lessens dependence on extracting primary resources and the related environmental harm. Conversely, fires initiated by batteries incur significant financial detriments, encompassing emergency service expenses, site restoration costs, lost income from operational halts, and the ruin of materials that could have been recycled. In 2021, Eunomia Research & Consulting calculated the yearly expense of lithium-ion battery fires within the UK's waste sector to be £158 million.

Image Credit - Arka

WEEE Rules and Producer Accountability

The United Kingdom's regulations concerning Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) seek to oversee the disposal phase for electrical products. These rules assign duties to manufacturers and sellers for funding the collection, treatment, and recycling of WEEE, which covers items containing batteries. Numerous retailers provide take-back services for outdated electrical goods and batteries, frequently at no cost. Nevertheless, public knowledge and participation in these services require enhancement. Existing regulations mandate that producers achieve recycling quotas, though some contend these targets are obsolete and do not adequately tackle the distinct difficulties presented by contemporary lithium-ion batteries.

Advocacy for Enhanced EPR

Professional organizations like the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) champion the reinforcement of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) concerning batteries. EPR transfers greater accountability to manufacturers for their products' complete lifecycle, disposal included. Suggested reforms encompass measures ensuring producer payments more accurately cover real treatment expenses. Calls also exist for chemistry-specific recycling objectives to encourage the reclamation of valuable substances from various battery categories. Implementing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for batteries or items incorporating them represents another potential strategy. Studies reveal considerable public backing for a battery DRS.

The Importance of Public Knowledge and Education

Boosting public consciousness is essential. Initiatives such as "Stop Battery Fires," jointly operated by Recycle Your Electricals and the NFCC, strive to inform consumers. These campaigns underscore the perils of binning batteries and offer straightforward details on appropriate recycling techniques. A large segment of the population is still uninformed that common objects contain potentially risky batteries or lack knowledge on safe disposal. Research discovered nearly half of UK adults were unaware rechargeable batteries could ignite if harmed. Unambiguous labeling on goods and packaging, combined with uniform messaging from councils, shops, and manufacturers, is critical for modifying behavior.

Unified Effort is Necessary

Addressing the battery fire emergency demands a comprehensive strategy. Producers should design items that simplify battery extraction and recycling. Retailers need to vigorously encourage and streamline take-back options. The government must establish solid regulations and EPR structures that make producers answerable. Waste handling firms have to persist in investing in safer management methods and detection tools. Most importantly, the general populace must adopt responsible disposal routines. Programs like Herefordshire's kerbside service present workable solutions, yet their effectiveness hinges on broad community involvement and a shared grasp of the dangers entailed. The growing wave of battery fires necessitates prompt, coordinated responses from every party involved.