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Battery fires at UK recycling centres cost about £1bn a year

Data shared by the waste industry trade body shows 1,518 fires reported in the year to March 2026, with 541 linked to lithium-ion batteries.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Europe

Battery fires at UK recycling centres are occurring at more than 10 per week and are costing about £1 billion a year, according to new figures shared with The Guardian.

The Environment Services Association said its members reported 1,518 fires in the year to March 2026, and at least 541 were directly attributed to lithium-ion batteries. An additional 216 battery fires were reported in bin lorries, and the group said the true scale may be higher because it is often impossible to determine what caused a blaze.

The ESA said batteries are behind about 40% of recycling-centre fires based on available evidence, but it estimates the actual share is closer to 70%. The report also notes that fires continue across multiple locations, including a recent blaze at a recycling centre in Deptford, south-east London, where the cause has not yet been determined.

Fire chiefs described the incidents as resource intensive and disruptive for local communities, while a fire expert at King's College London said the increase reflects the growing use and disposal of lithium batteries in everyday items including smartphones, toys, toothbrushes, and vapes. The Guardian also cites that last week’s incidents follow a wider pattern involving recycling centres and bin lorries.

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