Surge in Lithium Battery Fires Costs UK Recycling Sector £1bn Annually

Improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries are causing more than 10 fires every week at recycling facilities across the United Kingdom, pushing the annual financial damage to £1 billion, according to data released by an industry body.

Figures compiled by the Environmental Services Association (ESA), which represents UK waste management companies, show that member organizations reported 1,518 fires in the 12 months leading up to March 2026. At least 541 of those incidents were directly confirmed to have been triggered by lithium-ion batteries. An additional 216 battery fires were reported inside waste collection vehicles during the same period.

Industry officials state that official statistics undercount the true extent of the problem, as the destruction caused by blazes often makes it impossible to determine an exact point of origin. While confirmed data links batteries to 40 percent of recycling center fires, the ESA projects that the actual proportion is closer to 70 percent.

The estimated economic impact of battery-related waste fires in the UK has surged from £150 million in 2021 to £1 billion today. Beyond direct property damage, waste operators face rising insurance premiums and operational disruptions. Recent blazes include an incident under investigation in Deptford, south-east London, as well as a major fire in Ilford, east London, which required 25 firefighters to bring under control. Similar fires have recently been reported in Glasgow, Caerwent, Widnes, Costessey, and Dereham.

Fire safety experts explain that compact lithium-ion batteries are prone to dangerous thermal reactions when crushed during routine waste handling. Dr Francesco Restuccia, a fire researcher at King’s College London, noted that puncturing a battery’s internal separator creates short circuits, causing temperatures to rapidly spike until ignition occurs. Tests commissioned by the ESA and conducted by the Health and Safety Executive showed that a punctured electronic cigarette battery reached temperatures above 750°C, setting adjacent paper and cardboard alight.

Small electronic devices with short lifespans, particularly single-use electronic cigarettes, have been identified as primary drivers of the crisis. Waste management firm Biffa reported collecting 500,000 discarded vapes at its facilities over the summer. “Battery fires are reaching epidemic proportions across Britain’s recycling and waste industry,” said Patrick Brighty, head of recycling policy at the ESA.

To curb the risks, the ESA is advocating for a national £5 deposit scheme on all vape sales. The policy would require consumers to pay a refundable deposit at purchase, incentivizing them to return used devices to retailers for specialized handling rather than throwing them into standard municipal waste streams.

Background

Lithium-ion batteries are common energy sources found in everyday consumer electronics, including disposable vapes, wireless headphones, power tools, and mobile phones. When these devices are incorrectly thrown into household waste or standard recycling bins, they are collected and processed alongside normal municipal waste.

During waste collection and sorting, heavy equipment routinely crushes and compacts garbage. If a lithium-ion battery’s internal protective barrier is breached, short circuits occur, leading to extremely fast heat generation. These fires are notoriously difficult to suppress and present significant safety hazards to sanitation workers, emergency responders, and waste processing infrastructure.