In a policy briefing, the ESA called for urgent reform to mandate universal kerbside collections for waste batteries and small electricals.
Material Focus reported that more than 1,200 battery-related fires broke out in refuse vehicles and waste facilities during 2023/24 – a 71% increase on the previous year.
The trade body says these incidents are now costing the UK over £1 billion annually, threatening not only vital infrastructure but also the lives of frontline workers tasked with managing the nation’s waste.
‘Inadequate’ collections infrastructure
Only around a quarter of councils offer any form of kerbside collection for batteries or small Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), with the majority relying on supermarket bring-banks and Household Waste Recycling Centres funded through producer compliance schemes.
The ESA argued this approach is “inadequate”, leaving consumers without convenient recycling options and making public education campaigns less effective.
The report suggested that nearly a fifth of people still admit to binning used batteries, despite the fire risks posed once they are compacted or damaged in refuse vehicles.
Rising fire risks
Lithium-ion batteries, commonly found in everyday items such as mobile phones, toothbrushes and e-cigarettes, are behind almost half of all waste fires in the UK, according to the ESA.
Once discarded into the general waste stream, these batteries can ignite when crushed or punctured, sparking fires that destroy infrastructure, endanger workers and disrupt local communities.
Larger waste operators also report an average of 15 vehicle fires each month, with several refuse trucks lost to battery-related blazes every year.
Executive Director of the ESA Jacob Hayler said: “Waste fires caused by batteries not only endanger the lives of people working in essential frontline services but also destroy vital infrastructure; threaten the natural environment and undermine the vitality and viability of businesses involved in the UK’s circular economy – placing jobs and future investment at risk.”
A call for reform
The ESA suggested that the solution lies in policy reform to mandate kerbside collection of batteries and small electricals across England.
Independent analysis carried out with Eunomia found that universal kerbside services could save £6 billion over the next decade by preventing fires and recovering valuable materials.
The proposed model would retrofit existing collection vehicles with external containers for batteries and small WEEE, with capital costs estimated at just 70p per household.
The ESA argued these services should be funded by producers of batteries and electrical devices under a reformed Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system – a long-promised reform which it said is now overdue.
Hayler added: “The current collection system for Waste Electricals and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and waste batteries is clearly inadequate for safely dealing with the proliferation of these items today, let alone into the future, which is why the ESA is calling on policy-makers to implement universal, producer-funded, kerbside collections for batteries and small waste electrical across England.
“Doing so would make it easier for consumers to dispose of these items correctly and this in turn could increase capture rates and reduce the fire risk.”
These very issues will be at the heart of discussion at the Fire and Health & Safety Conference, taking place on 23 October 2025 at the Hallam Conference Centre in London. Bringing together regulators, operators, and safety experts, the event will explore case studies, prevention strategies, and the latest innovations to help the industry strengthen its resilience – secure your early-bird ticket here.
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