OPINION: Cllr Bert Bingham's Nottinghamshire County Council column
Did you know that putting items such as batteries, vapes and electricals into recycling or general waste bins can pose a fire risk?
This was highlighted just a few weeks ago when a fire broke out at Worksop waste transfer station in the early hours of the morning, causing significant damage.
Five fire engines and specialist units from across Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire responded to the incident and I think I speak for everyone when I say that we are thankful there were no injuries to any staff or members of the public. I would like to thank the firefighters from both organisations for their response to the incident and safely bringing it under control.
As a lifelong Worksop resident, I have seen first-hand the damage that this fire has caused and I was surprised to learn that this fire was most likely caused by a battery, vape or electrical item.
At Nottinghamshire County Council we work with Veolia, which manages our recycling and waste treatment operations, and we are now also working closely with Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service to raise awareness of the dangers that unsafe disposal of these items can cause.
I recently learnt that these items are so dangerous when disposed of incorrectly because once crushed, they become extremely flammable, reaching high temperatures quickly.
When these fires break out, often in bin lorries or at recycling or waste processing plants, this puts waste collection crews and the staff at waste processing facilities at risk of burns, chemical exposure and smoke inhalation and, as we have seen recently in Worksop, recycling and waste transfer infrastructure can be damaged too.
If you have used vapes at home, it’s important not to put them into household recycling or rubbish bins. Instead, you can take them to your local recycling centre or back to retailers who will safely recycle them.
Everyday items in your home such as electric toothbrushes and children’s toys contain hidden batteries. These items can be recycled but they must be handled safely at one of our recycling centres or at a dedicated recycling point.
When it comes to batteries, you may have seen battery recycling points at your local supermarket and there are a number of dedicated recycling points that you can take them to. You can also easily recycle them at one of our 12 recycling centres in Nottinghamshire.
If you’re unsure of how to recycle an item, we have a free, easy-to-use Recycling Checker on our website. Simply put in a description of your item and your postcode and the checker will tell you how best to recycle or dispose of an item. You can use the checker by visiting: nottinghamshire.gov.uk/recyclingchecker
Hopefully we won’t see another incident in Nottinghamshire like the Worksop fire, and I’d urge everyone to take a moment to check and think before disposing of dangerous waste such as batteries, vapes and electricals.