Cambridgeshire fire service avoidable battery blazes warning

Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service is urging residents to make sure they dispose of old batteries correctly, either at local shops with a battery bank or at their local recycling centre. Across the country almost half of all waste fires (48%) are caused by lithium-ion batteries.

Please do not dispose of any battery types, small or large in household waste or recycling bins. These cause unnecessary and avoidable fires and put people at risk.

In December 2022, The Environmental Services Association said lithium battery fires were costing fire services and waste operators some £158m a year. It said 700 fires were caused every year by the batteries being thrown out.