Batteries in rubbish collections have sparked three fires at Taranaki sites this year.
Last mont, a fire at the Hāwera Transfer Station was linked to a disposed lithium battery, while a battery is believed to have caused a blaze at New Plymouth’s material recovery facility on Colson Road. This is the second at the facility this year after a battery caused a fire in April, resulting in 500 kilograms of valuable recyclable steel being lost.
A blaze in a recycling truck in Auckland is also believed to be caused by a battery in a vaping device igniting. Lithium-ion batteries are commonly found in vapes, phones, laptops and some power tools. When squashed, punctured, shredded or soaked in liquids, they can get hot and ignite.
New Plymouth District Council resource recovery manager Kimberely Hope says it’s important to recycle batteries properly.
“These incidents are a reminder about what can happen when batteries or objects containing batteries are put in kerbside bins. The simple rule is that no battery should go in into a recycling or landfill bin. Rather, take your used batteries to The Junction or another battery recycling service being offered.”