Don’t bin them; recycle your electricals

Residents are being reminded how to recycle batteries, small electricals and vapes.

These items pose a fire risk if placed in refuse or recycling bins due to the compaction equipment on our collection lorries.

The compaction can cause them to ignite and set fire to other collected materials, potentially causing thousands of pounds worth of damage to equipment.

How to dispose of these items safely

• Batteries – please place on top of your refuse or recycling bin in a clear bag. Our crews place these into cages on the outside of the collection vehicles to be recycled.
• small electricals and vapes: households can book a free collection for these items. Please bag disposable vapes together for collection. For reusable vapes, please remove the battery and recycle this separately.

Disposable barbecues

Disposable barbecue waste can also present a fire risk in bins and collection lorries.

If you are disposing of barbecue waste, please let everything cool down thoroughly.  
Smouldering coals and hot ash can set fire to items in your bin.

We have had fires in our collection lorries from battery and barbecue waste, so please dispose of all these items carefully.

This will  keep our crews and equipment safe and your collections running on time.