“Not enough people realise the dangers of lithium batteries” – Portsmouth e-waste firm urges people to learn about proper battery disposal

WITH several instances of fires breaking out in and around Portsmouth, both domestically and commercially, due to lithium batteries, an e-waste firm is urging individuals and businesses to learn the dangers and proper disposal of their batteries. 

Lithium-ion batteries are commonly used in many household items, from laptops to smart phones. But with more and more disposable items now containing lithium batteries and “not enough” education around disposal, the fire risks are increasing. 

A fire which caused a huge amount of damage to eight homes in Hill Park Road in Gosport at the end of June has been linked to an e-scooter which caught fire while charging in one of the properties.

As well as this, there have been several incidents where bin lorries have set fire due to disposable vapes being discarded in household waste.

Gary Dalton and David Edwards, who run Southern Electrical Recycling are urging both individuals and businesses to brush up on the safety advice around use of lithium batteries to prevent fires. 

Gary said: “There’s just not enough education and information around lithium batteries the dangers that these items can cause if not dealt with correctly. For example, people will go through several vapes a week and just throw them in the bin with the rest of their household waste. They might even leave unused vapes sat in drawers for months, not realising that those vapes alone could start a fire.” 

According to Gary and David, there is also a lot of undereducation in businesses about the correct disposal of e-waste. 

The pair were recently called to collect some unused tech from a business which had several computers, laptops and other electrical equipment stored in a locked room that wasn’t checked for months. 

David said: “It’s scary how little businesses know – and care – about what they should be doing with tech. We spoke to someone recently who didn’t even know their laptop contained a lithium battery.”

Businesses are required to offer free collection of waste or used batteries if you sell or supply 32kg or more of portable batteries per year – around the equivalent to a pack of four AA batteries per day.

The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 regulations require producers of portable batteries to set up and fund the collection and recycling of used batteries. However, this law does not cover retailers of such batteries, meaning vape shops are not legally required to collect unused e-cigarettes, resulting in a lack of places for consumers to recycle them.. 

The general public can take their used batteries to designated collection points such as local authorities, civic amenity sites, retailers, and waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) recycling sites.

Southern Electrical Recycling provides fire-proof bins for businesses to allow them to reduce the risk of fire. They are lined with vermiculite and are air-tight to prevent oxygen from allowing flames to ignite and stopping fires in their tracks.

Gary said: “When you think about the fact that there could be one small battery left unattended in a drawer in an office block that could cause the whole building to set alight, it’s a harrowing thought. The measures that you can take to prevent these things from happening are so small, it’s just a no brainer.” 

For more information on regulations and keeping businesses safe from fire, go to https://southernelectricalrecycling.co.uk/ 

Consumers can recycle vapes at their local Household Waste Recycling Centre.