‘Zombie battery’ warning issued as vapes continue to flood waste system

New data shared with consumer safety charity Electrical Safety First by Biffa (the UK’s largest waste management company) reveals that more than 840,000 vapes were found at four of the latter’s waste sites (ie Teesside, Walsall, Ipswich and North London) between June and September this year. That’s an average of more than 7,000 every day.

The latest figures have resulted in a warning being issued by both organisations in relation to the horrors posed by ‘zombie batteries’ in vapes. Those batteries can explode in bin lorries and waste centre sites, putting workers at serious risk, damaging equipment, disrupting services and causing environmental harm.

Further statistics supplied to Electrical Safety First by Biffa show that ‘zombie batteries’ have so far caused more than 180 fires across the company’s UK estate since June alone.

New video footage of a recent incident shows a Biffa waste lorry emptying its smouldering contents on to the road as a fire caused by a battery erupts. Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries. If punctured, crushed or damaged, these batteries can initiate a process called thermal runaway, reaching dangerously high temperatures and causing ferocious fires.

Since the disposable vape ban came into force this summer, Biffa has seen an increase in all types of vapes across those four major sites, with almost 20,000 more vapes found at these sites in August and September when compared to June and July.

Experts warn that this sharp rise could lead to a frightening increase in fires, putting both workers and waste centre sites at risk.

Ferocious fires

Giuseppe Capanna, product safety engineer at Electrical Safety First, explained: “Incorrectly disposing of a vape in the general household waste or recycling can have very real and frightening consequences for waste collection workers who are just trying to do their job. Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries. If these batteries are thrown away incorrectly, they risk coming back to life in gruesome fashion by exploding and causing ferocious fires that put workers at risk.”

Capanna added: “Every individual household can help turn the tide on this issue one action at a time. We urge all households to stop and think. Don’t bin the battery.”

Luke Walter, the manager of Biffa’s Aldridge materials recovery facility in Walsall, experienced first-hand the devastation these fires can cause after an incorrectly disposed of vape with a lithium-ion battery exploded. The blaze put the site out of action for six months, landing Biffa with a repair and rebuild bill that ran into millions of pounds.

“The fire here in January was particularly devastating,” affirmed Walter. “The most important thing is that everyone went home safe and well but, understandably, the immediate concern was job security.”

Walter concluded: “The site is now fully operational again. While we remain extremely vigilant about fire risks, the danger will persist as long as batteries – lithium-ion or alkaline – hidden in small electrical devices such as vapes continue to be placed in general waste and recycling bins.”

*Further information is available online at www.electricalsafetyfirst.org.uk