News / Environment
Warning on batteries in household rubbish after truck escapes fire
A quarter of Merri-bek’s recycling is contaminated by other waste
Brunswick Voice
MERRI-BEK Council is urging residents to be more vigilant about separating their recycling and other waste after a lithium battery almost caused a fire in a rubbish truck on Tuesday.
The driver was forced to make an emergency stop in Hope Street after noticing heavy smouldering coming from the rear of the truck. The driver had to dump the contents of the truck’s compactor onto the road before it burst into flames.
The road was closed to traffic while Fire Rescue Victoria attended to extinguish the smouldering contents and the waste that had been intended for recycling had to be taken to landfill.
The council said the most likely cause of the smoke was a lithium battery that had been wrongly placed in a yellow-lidded recycling bin.
Recycling trucks compress waste using a compactor, so if the truck collects and places pressure on a battery through the compactor, it can cause the battery to overheat and burst into flames.
“The team followed the correct procedures for this type of incident, and followed direction from Fire Rescue Victoria, to ensure there was no risk to the community while the waste was extinguished,” the council said in a statement.
“Incidents like this happen from time to time, and our drivers are well-versed in how to manage them in a safe way.”
But the incident has highlighted the ongoing battle to educate residents to correctly dispose of different types of household waste to reduce contamination in recycling.
Between 25% to 28% of recycling is regularly compromised despite a drive by the council to reduce contamination which has included bin inspections and waste audits.
The council’s contracted recycling facility recovers all recyclable materials and removes items that cannot be recycled. The remaining waste is sent to landfill. Heavily contaminated recycling bins can lead to the entire truck being rejected by the recycling facility and sent to landfill, adding to the processing cost.
The council said electronic waste, such as batteries, vapes and charges, should never be placed in household bins. They are harmful to the environment and can cause fires. The council provides designated drop-off stations across Merri-bek to safely dispose of e-waste.
“Smouldering or fires in waste and recycling trucks are often caused by incorrect items being put in kerbside bins, such as electronic waste like batteries or vapes,” said Mayor Helen Davidson.
“We can reduce the risk of this happening by disposing of waste in the correct bins, and by taking electronic waste to designated recycling stations across Merri-bek.”
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