Cheshire East Council has launched a new campaign to tackle a worrying rise in fires caused by hazardous waste in household bins.
With almost 30 incidents already this year – including multiple fires at the Middlewich waste transfer station and in bin lorries – the council is sounding the alarm on the dangers posed by everyday items like batteries, vapes and electricals when disposed of incorrectly.
The ‘When In Doubt, Leave It Out’ campaign aims to protect bin collection crews and communities from the devastating consequences of waste-related fires, and to reduce the costly repairs they cause.
The issue is not unique to Cheshire East. Nationally, the number of fires caused by batteries at waste sites and in bin lorries rose by 71% in 2024, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council. Last year alone, six billion batteries were thrown away, including more than one billion electrical items containing hidden lithium-ion batteries.
Councillor David Jefferay, chair of Cheshire East Council’s environment and communities committee, said: “There is a real risk of harm to the public, staff, vehicles and properties with fires caused by hazardous waste, and we want to be clear on our message: when in doubt, keep it out of your bin.”
The ‘When In Doubt, Leave It Out’ campaign highlights the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, which was the cause of the latest bin lorry fire (in Macclesfield). These batteries are often hidden inside everyday electrical items. When crushed or damaged during collection, these batteries can ignite surrounding waste and even re-ignite hours later, causing explosions and chemical exposure.
Councillor Jefferay added: “There are so many items with hidden batteries in every home, these range from children’s toys, appliances, phones, vapes, remote controls, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, the list goes on. We know batteries can be hidden but we urge people to stop and think and dispose of the items correctly.”
We had a vehicle fire recently in Macclesfield and thankfully no one was hurt. But the fire-damaged vehicle cost over £25,000 to repair and disrupted bin collections in the area. That’s money and time that could have been spent on essential services.”
Residents are being urged to take hazardous items – including batteries, vapes, electricals and gas canisters to their local household waste recycling centre or return them to a retailer, rather than placing them in household bins.
“We’re asking residents to stop and think,” said Councillor Jefferay. “Even the most harmless-looking item could be the cause of our next fire.”
