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22/01/2025

Safety concerns over disposal of batteries, vapes, and gas canisters

Residents urged to avoid putting dangerous items in to their waste and recycling bins.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council is urging residents to avoid putting dangerous items in to their waste and recycling bins. It follows several recent fires at waste sorting centres involving batteries.

When batteries are put into compactors, within waste collection lorries and at treatment facilities, they can cause sparks causing them to ignite. Vapes, electrical items and gas canisters pose similar dangers and should also not be put in household waste or recycling bins.

A Council spokesperson said,

“We want to remind residents of the dangers of mixing hazardous materials in waste and recycling collections. We all need to be aware that they can cause fires, explosions and serious injuries, putting both our waste management teams and the wider community at risk.

Vapes contain lithium-ion batteries that can ignite when crushed, electrical items with batteries or plugs can explode or catch fire, and gas canisters and bottles, even when empty, can cause explosions.

We would therefore ask residents to be mindful of the dangers associated with these items. They should be disposed of safely at designated points at our household recycling centres.”

Selected local retailers, supermarkets and some big hardware stores will also accept used batteries and vapes if they sell them. Participating stores can be found online at www.recyclenow.com/recycle-an-item/batteries

In Summary:

  • Batteries: Batteries in any condition must not be placed in your regular waste collection. They can be recycled at local recycling centres or at designated collection points in shops.
  • Vapes: Vapes should not be placed in bins. They can be recycled at local recycling centres or returned to retailers for safe disposal.
  • Electronic Equipment: Electrical and electronic equipment must not be mixed with bin waste collections. Recycle these at your local recycling centre.
  • Gas Canisters/Bottles: Gas canisters, of any size or description, must not be disposed of in bins. Deposit these at designated collection points at recycle centres.
  • Aerosols: These can be placed in your recycling container, but only if they are empty.