'Life-threatening’ vape fires erupting in bin lorries and waste centres
Vape batteries are causing widespread fires in UK waste transport and facilities, prompting calls for stricter disposal rules.Summary
Since the UK banned single‑use disposable vapes in June 2023, SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK has reported over 500 suspected vape‑related fires, many of which have occurred on bin lorries and at waste‑processing sites. The lithium‑ion batteries in e‑cigarettes can ignite when crushed or damaged during compaction or shredding, leading to large blazes that sometimes require workers to tip waste onto roads to extinguish them. Recent incidents include a 450‑tonne cardboard fire at a Widnes recycling plant and a lorry fire in Greater Manchester that took five hours to control. SUEZ has urged the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to launch a national campaign and introduce a deposit‑return scheme for vapes, arguing that the current ban has not sufficiently reduced fire risk. Defra acknowledges progress but remains concerned about waste fires and is exploring further measures.
(Source：Metro.co.uk)
