A Blackpool tip is urging people to remove lithium-ion batteries from e-bikes and e-scooters before disposing of them following a fire at its site.
The fire, believed to have been caused by an 'inappropriately disposed of' e-scooter or e-bike, broke out in Bristol Avenue Household Waste Recycling Centre in Bispham, Blackpool at about 2pm on November 5. It was extinguished by Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service, but they had to return at about 10pm after it reignited.
All staff and members of the public were evacuated and no one was hurt.
Paul Preston, site manager for Enveco, which operates the tip for Blackpool Council, warned people to take more care when disposing of lithium-ion batteries found in e-bikes and e-scooters.
“We believe the fire started as a result of an inappropriately disposed of e-scooter or e-bike which unfortunately caught fire. We have quite an extensive mound of waste that has been damaged as a result of this fire.
"The message is when you are attending the recycling centre or disposing of any waste including batteries, please remove those batteries whether they are lithium-ion or alkaline batteries so they can be disposed of appropriately.”
Lithium-ion and alkaline batteries are accepted at the Bristol Avenue Household Waste Recycling Centre, he added.
> Old worn-out e-bike batteries: repair, recycle, refurbish or replace?
The Bicycle Association (BA) also recently set up an e-bike battery collection and recycling service, with the European Recycling Platform UK appointed as its partner. It was trialled last year in the North West of England to determine the volume of expired and faulty batteries the BA could expect to collect.
"For consumers, it is important to know that a solution exists if their battery expires or is faulty," the BA said. "These powerful batteries need to be removed from homes, to be stored safely at a nationwide network of collection points where they are then collected and recycled so that the important materials are recycled in the correct waste streams."
The BA says that at a time when the risks of e-bike battery fires are mainstream news, the provision of a certified, industry-wide, expired battery collection service is, “important for the resilience of the sector and a point of difference for a trustworthy retailer”.
According to its website, it will launch the national battery collection and recycling programme in spring 2025.
