A battery fire at the recycling sorting centre, Te Awamutu yesterday is a stark reminder of the extreme safety risks posed by people disposing of batteries in recycling bins.
Staff at the centre responded quickly, putting out the fire and preventing further damage or injury.
Waste minimisation team leader Sarabjeet Singh said while the team responded swiftly, the incident could have been far worse.
“Batteries – especially lithium-ion types – are highly volatile when crushed or damaged. Once they are in the recycling, they can cause sparks, fires, and even explosions,” Singh said.
“We urge people to be vigilant and remind everyone that batteries must never be placed in recycling bins.”
Batteries should be disposed of at designated collection points, such as PAK’nSAVE, Te Awamutu, and Mitre 10, Cambridge.
For more information on what can be recycled, visit the ‘Can I recycle this?’ tool at wastelesswaipa.co.nz.
