Many people are unaware that when they fail to dispose of their batteries correctly, they are creating a fire risk at waste disposal and recycling centres in the UK.
As a result, a new campaign has been launched to encourage people to dispose of their batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries, responsibly. The reason these batteries are dangerous is that when they are crushed or punctured during waste recycling processes, they can combust.
Often in these environments, there is a lot of flammable material around and this can result in fires that spread rapidly and are challenging to control.
Circular Online reported that the Take Charge campaign aims to raise awareness among the public of how they should be disposing of their batteries.
Among the common items you’ll find lithium-ion batteries in are mobile phones, laptops, tablets, remote-controlled toys, bluetooth devices, electric toothbrushes and e-cigarettes, among others, the publication noted.
The Environmental Services Association (ESA) revealed that around 250 fires at recycling and waste facilities in the UK are thought to have been caused by lithium-ion batteries between April 2019 and March 2020.
ESA executive director Jacob Hayler commented: “Fires caused by carelessly discarded batteries endanger lives, cause millions of pounds of damage and disrupt waste services.”
An article for Chemistry World last month pointed out that there is a significant global market for second-life lithium-ion batteries, as well as for the raw materials that can be recycled from batteries.
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