Lithium Battery Fires Threaten UK Recycling Facilities

More than ten fires a week are being linked to discarded lithium-ion batteries, especially those from vapes, across Britain’s waste-management network. The Environment Services Association (ESA) reports that its members recorded 1,518 fires in the year to March 2026, of which 541 were directly attributed to lithium batteries and a further 216 occurred in bin lorries. The latest blaze at a recycling centre in Deptford, south-east London, joins incidents in Ilford, Caerwent, Widnes, Glasgow, Costessey and Dereham that have been blamed on battery-related causes.

The Guardian

The ESA estimates that battery-induced fires now cost the industry over £1 billion annually, up from £150 million in 2021. The association believes the official figure under-states the problem because many incidents lack a clear cause. Waste-management firm Biffa disclosed that it recovered 500,000 vapes at its facilities this summer alone, underscoring the volume of high-risk devices entering the waste stream.

The Guardian

When a lithium-ion cell is crushed, the separator can be pierced, creating internal short circuits that raise the cell’s temperature to ignition. Restuccia explained that “If the separator is pierced – which happens a lot at recycling centres – it creates a lot of internal short circuits in the battery, causing the temperature to increase until it reaches ignition point.” In a test commissioned by the ESA, a punctured vape battery ignited like a sparkler, reaching temperatures above 750 °C and burning paper for two minutes.

The Guardian

He added that a single hidden battery can “decimate a facility” and that the total cost now exceeds £1 billion a year, with insurance implications. The ESA is urging the government to introduce a mandatory £5 deposit scheme on all vapes to incentivise safe return and proper recycling.

The Guardian

• “We know 40% of fires at recycling centres are caused by batteries, but we think the actual number is more like 70%.” — spokesperson

The Guardian

• “If the separator is pierced – which happens a lot at recycling centres – it creates a lot of internal short circuits in the battery, causing the temperature to increase until it reaches ignition point.” — Restuccia

The Guardian