March 1, 2018 3.42 pm This story is over 71 months old

Warning after batteries and laptop found in embers of major recycling plant fire

Don’t put electrical in the recycling bin.

Lincolnshire County Council has warned people about the risks of incorrectly disposing of batteries and electrical goods after a recent fire at a waste transfer site in Wyberton.

Around 60 tonnes of waste was severely damaged at the site in the Slippery Gowts Lane business park area on February 22.

Although the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation, two burned out laptops, complete with batteries, were discovered among the embers.

Head of environmental operations at Boston Borough Council Christian Allen said: “Batteries and electrical items can be recycled, but not in your home recycling bin. They should be taken to Household Waste Recycling centres for proper disposal.

“Batteries can get very hot when they’re amongst other waste and as well as being dangerous, they can contaminate other materials so that waste cannot be recycled.

“Damaged laptop batteries are a genuine risk which is why we always advise to dispose of them in the appropriate way at your nearest recycling centre. We all want to do the right thing for the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling as much as possible but it is important we do it in the right way.”

Fire investigation officer at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, Jason Lawley, added: “Electrical devices should always be disposed of appropriately. Once they become damaged, probably from impact, they can short circuit which often causes a rise in temperature leading to a fire.”