0330 123 4609
Menu
We investigate how often lithium-ion batteries cause fires in bin lorries and UK waste sites, why is it an issue and what are the recycling habits fuelling it.
Written by Antonia, Head of Marketing | Consumer Electronics and Money-Saving
Last updated on 19 October 2026
Recycling is simply a part of everyday modern life. Finished a milk carton? Most of us know to rinse it and put it in the correct recycling bin. Cardboard Amazon packaging? Flatten it and put it into the cardboard bin. Glass jar from last night's pasta sauce? Straight into the glass bin, rinsed, with the lid off.
Decades of campaigns and colour-coded council bins have made recycling household items second nature. A lot of the time, we do it without thinking. But hand someone an old mobile phone or tablet and their brain can go into overdrive, or, at the very least, their confidence will start to dwindle.
At Compare and Recycle, we’ve spent the last few years watching the concerning rise in the number of news stories of bin lorries bursting into flames and recycling centres going up in smoke - much of which is tied back to misdisposed devices, including lithium-ion batteries.
While the media might lead you to believe that most of these fires are caused by disposable vapes, the problem is far bigger. Mobile phones, MacBooks, tablets, games consoles, and digital cameras - nearly every modern rechargeable device runs on a lithium-ion battery - and that battery becomes a fire risk if not disposed of correctly.
To get to the bottom of the lithium-ion battery fire epidemic, we submitted Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) to every regional fire service in the UK alongside surveying 2,000 UK adults on their habits and knowledge of the topic to understand how often (and why) these fires are really happening.
Jump to:
How many recorded bin lorry fires and waste site fires are caused by lithium-ion batteries?
How much fire service time is lost responding to these lithium-ion battery fire incidents?
Where in the UK has recorded the most lithium-ion battery fires since 2019?
Which region is most likely to use incorrect disposal methods?
What's the correct way to dispose of a lithium-ion battery device?
The public wants someone to fix the lithium-ion battery problem
A lithium-ion battery is, put simply, a type of rechargeable energy storage device. Inside, charged lithium ions move back and forth between two electrodes - the positive and negative ends - to create and store power. Sounds super science-y, right?
In layman's terms, when you use your rechargeable device, those ions move one way to release power, and when you plug it in to charge, they move back the other way.
It’s this constant movement that makes lithium-ion batteries so efficient and popular. However, it’s also exactly what makes them so dangerous if the battery is damaged, overheated or if it ends up in the wrong bin.
Read our blog on the dangers of storing old phones at home to find out more about the fire risks of lithium-ion batteries.
Our research shows that the number of recorded lithium-ion battery fires in the UK's bin lorries and waste sites has surged by 475% since 2019 - and the problem is only accelerating.
To find out just how bad the lithium-ion battery fire problem has become in the UK, we submitted FOI requests to UK fire services, asking how many bin lorry or waste recycling centre fires they'd recorded since 2019 that were suspected to be caused by lithium-ion or lithium batteries.
Of the UK's 49 fire and rescue services, we received 46 responses. Six of these confirmed they had no data to provide, leaving 40 services with usable data. Of these 40, 21 were able to provide complete datasets dating back to 2019. Of these 21 services analysed for this research, the picture that emerged was stark:
170% increase in the number of recorded lithium-ion battery fires, comparing 2019-22 to 2023-26 (year to June) - (103 incidents vs 278 incidents, respectively).
475% increase in the recorded number of incidents between 2019 and 2025 (the last full year of data)
So, how common are these lithium-ion battery fires? Based on our analysis, 103 such incidents were recorded between 2019 and 2022 - roughly one every two weeks.
However, between 2023 and 2026 (year to June), that number jumped to 278 incidents, the equivalent of one every four to five days - showing just how rapidly this problem is escalating.
And it’s a real risk that exists even when a device isn't being actively used. Many people may wonder: can lithium batteries catch fire when not in use?
The answer is yes. Even a switched-off, uncharged device can still pose a fire risk, which is part of why these incidents happen even in bins and lorries where nothing is actively being used or charged.
While the 475% increase in these kinds of incidents may seem drastic, our findings show that the problem has been steadily building since 2019 - and isn’t showing any signs of slowing down:
The sharpest rise in incidents came between 2020 and 2021, when recorded responses to these types of fires nearly doubled, rising by 86% in just one year.
Our 2026 FOI data only accounts for incidents up until the end of June, but the upward trend shows no signs of stopping just yet.
If incidents for the rest of the year continue at the same growth as 2024-2025 did (12.2%), then we project that the year will end with around 103 of these incidents across the 21 regions included in our analysis.
But it’s not just the incident rate of these fires that’s growing - the valuable fire service time spent fighting them has grown significantly too.
Between 2019 and 2022, the 21 UK fire services analysed recorded spending at around 977 hours fighting misdisposed lithium-ion battery devices in bin lorries and at waste sites.
From 2023 to 2026 (year to June), that figure has climbed to over 2,961 hours - an eye-watering 203% increase.
Across the full 2019-2026 period, responding crews at the 21 services analysed have spent over 3,939 hours responding to these fires.
That’s an average of 525 hours every year (based on 7.5 years recorded), or almost 22 days of continuous fire service cover spent tackling fires that could’ve easily been prevented with proper disposal methods.
Our research shows that some of the 21 services analysed have recorded responding to lithium-ion battery fires in bin lorries and waste recycling centres significantly more than others.
By raw incident count, Kent has had the most recorded incidents, with a total of 98 since 2019 to six months through 2026. Comparing 2019-22 to 2023-26 (year to June), lithium-ion battery fires in bin lorries or waste recycling centres in the region have grown by 80%.
Following Kent is Mid and West Wales, with 56 recorded incidents of these fires since 2019, growing by an astounding 150% across the same comparison period.
Interestingly, our survey findings show that one in every six people living in Wales (15%) believe it's safe to use the general household waste bin to dispose of lithium-ion battery devices (6 percentage points above the national average of 9%).
Greater Manchester (32 incidents, a 440% increase), Derbyshire (24 incidents, up 600%) and Lancashire (20 incidents, up 300%) round out the top five.
However, when adjusting the incident data to account for every 100,000 residents, a different region takes the top spot.
Mid and West Wales has the highest rate of lithium-ion battery fires relative to its size among the 21 services we analysed.
Despite ranking second on raw incident numbers, its population - the 8th smallest of the 21 services analysed - means residents there face a high rate of these fires, with 6.15 recorded for every 100,000 residents.
Kent drops to second place when adjusted for population, and Warwickshire jumps into third place.
Derbyshire ranks fourth - the same position it holds by raw incident count. Unlike Kent and Mid and West Wales, both of which shift position between the two measures, Derbyshire's ranking stays consistent either way, suggesting a steady, ongoing risk level regardless of how the data is measured.
Take a look at the top 10 most affected services analysed per 100,000 residents below:
The root cause of these fires is ultimately incorrect user disposal through general household waste or recycling bins.
Our survey research reveals that at least one in five people have misdisposed of lithium-ion battery devices via their general household waste (20%) or recycling bin (20%) at some point in the past.
One in five might not seem like an outrageous figure, but that’s the equivalent of at least 11,033,000 people doing this - or over 11 million devices chucked in the wrong bin, where they will inevitably wind up compacted in a bin lorry and potentially start a fire.
But unfortunately it’s not just a one-off mistake…
When asked what their most common method of disposing of unused devices is, almost one in six (14%) people said they routinely use their general household waste or recycling bin.
That’s approximately 7,723,100 adults treating this as their go-to method - not just an occasional mistake.
You should never put lithium-ion battery devices in these bins. Doing so is dangerous because these bins are collected and compacted by bin lorries, which can crush, puncture or damage the battery - one of the most common triggers for a battery fire.
Once a fire starts inside a compacted load of waste, it's extremely difficult for firefighters to reach and extinguish safely.
Our analysis shows that those living in London are the worst offenders for using unsafe lithium-ion battery disposal methods, with over a third saying they’ve used their general household waste (35%) or recycling bin (34%) to do this at some point - that’s 15 percentage points above the national average.
Following London is the East Midlands, where around one in four (24%) people have used their general household waste bin and around one in six (17%) have used their recycling bin.
Younger generations are significantly more likely to get safe disposal methods incorrect than their older peers.
Our survey reveals that nearly one in five (19%) 18-24-year-olds think a general waste bin is a safe place to dispose of a battery-containing device - almost five times the rate of the over-65s, where just 4% believe this.
What’s more, some 17% of 18-24-year-olds also believe that putting lithium-ion battery devices in a household recycling bin is safe - nearly double the rate of those in the over-65s age group.
At the same time, correct knowledge of genuinely safe options rises with age, with recognition of dedicated battery collection points climbing from 44% in the 18-24 group to 65% in the over-65s.
The good news is that the majority of us have quick, easy access to safe lithium-ion battery device disposal methods - it’s just that we’re not always utilising them.
So, how do you dispose of old mobile phones safely? According to our research, these are the safest methods - and the ones people use most:
A dedicated battery or small electricals collection point - used by 37% of people.
A local recycling centre or tip - used by 34% of people.
A tech trade-in website or store (like us, Compare and Recycle!) - used by 28% of people.
If you have any old devices you no longer use just sitting in a drawer, trading them in is one of the safest - and simplest - ways to ensure they never end up in the wrong bin (and you can make some cash from it too).
It’s also worth being aware that in the UK, it’s illegal to put batteries or any device containing a battery in your general household waste or recycling bin. Under UK law, these items are classed as Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), so they must be disposed of using the above methods instead.
Interestingly, more than two in five (43%) people think that misdisposing of an old lithium-ion battery device is more of an environmental risk than a fire risk.
And while it's been estimated that a shocking 74.7 million metric tonnes of e-waste will be generated by the year 2030, misdisposing of old devices is just as much of a fire risk as it is a wasteful one - and it’s far from the only misconception that Brits hold about this issue.
Understanding the dangers of lithium-ion batteries, including why they can explode or ignite, starts with busting a few common myths. Here are the top things Brits get wrong about lithium-ion battery device disposal versus what's actually true:
Fact #1: A lithium-ion battery doesn't need visible damage to pose a fire risk.
Yet, 26% believe that a device is only a fire risk if it's already damaged.
Fact #2: Even a "dead" battery can still be a fire risk.
Despite this, 26% wrongly believe that a battery can't catch fire if it has no charge left.
Fact #3: A battery being powered down is still a fire risk.
However, 24% believe a device battery can’t catch fire if it's switched off.
Fact #4: Bin lorries compact waste as they collect it, which can crush and ignite batteries with nowhere for the fire to safely go.
Even so, 24% of people in the UK believe bin lorries are designed to safely handle small battery fires.
Fact #5: Physical damage is one of the most common fire triggers for lithium-ion batteries.
Still, 10% believe a lithium-ion battery can't catch fire if it's crushed or punctured.
Fact #6: Lithium-ion fires can reignite hours - or even days - later, even once the fire appears to be out.
Yet, 10% believe a lithium-ion battery can't reignite.
Wondering how to put out a lithium-ion battery fire? If you ever suspect a lithium-ion battery fire, don't attempt to extinguish it yourself with water. Instead, call 999 immediately. Lithium-ion fires behave differently to typical household fires and require specialist handling from trained fire crews.
While many Brits get things wrong about how to dispose of old tech, it’s not just old phones that are collecting dust in drawers.
Across the UK, an estimated over 93 million chargers and cables are sitting unused in households across the UK - and that’s just the most-hoarded item on the list.
Smartphones are the second-most hoarded old technology item, with a third of Brits (33%) holding onto old handsets they no longer use. At an average of 2.51 sitting unused per person, this amounts to an estimated 45.7 million unused smartphones nationwide.
If you’ve got old tech sitting unused in your home, it doesn’t need to stay that way. Trading it in to a specialist technology recycling company via Compare and Recycle is quick, safe and means it’ll never end up misdisposed. Find out how much your old phone could be worth here.
Much of the issue with old misdisposed tech is that, for many of us, our old tech doesn’t get recycled; it simply gets forgotten about in the back of a drawer once we upgrade.
When we asked people their reasons why, the reasons were less about not caring and more about uncertainty and convenience:
The biggest blocker for Brits was that they “just haven’t got round to it” (38%).
Interestingly, more than one in five Brits (21%) are worried about their personal data. If it’s data security that’s holding you back, our guide on how to delete all data from your iPhone or Android before selling covers exactly that.
Some 14% of people say that their main blocker to disposing of their old technology is that they don’t know how to do it correctly - the equivalent of around 7,723,100 people.
What’s more, our survey research found that, on average, Brits dispose of just 2.14 electronic devices each year - though one in six (15%) annually dispose of five or more, suggesting that a small minority of us are doing most of the “disposing”, while the average person tends to hold on.
Our survey also found that there’s a gender gap in disposal habits, with men throwing away nearly 50% more tech than women each year (2.53 vs 1.78).
However, the underlying truth behind why Brits are somewhat reluctant to recycle their old tech may be a simple question of priorities. More than a third (36%) say electrical waste feels like less of an environmental priority than plastic waste, even though it carries a fire risk that plastic items simply don’t.
But it’s not just knowledge and habits that need to change. Our survey shows that the British public overwhelmingly thinks that someone else needs to help them get it “right”, with almost two-thirds (61%) saying that they think the government and local councils could be doing more to prevent these types of fires.
However, the frustration from Brits likely isn’t unfounded. More than half (54%) say they've never been given clear guidance on how to safely dispose of a battery-operated device, and 43% say it's simply too difficult for the average person to know how to do it correctly.
Therefore, it's no surprise that nearly three-quarters (72%) say they'd like to see more public awareness campaigns on the risks of incorrect disposal.
And then there’s also the question of who’s to blame when things go wrong.
Almost two in five people (37%) say that if a lithium-ion battery device fire does occur, manufacturers are more likely to be blamed than the individual user, suggesting many people don't see incorrect disposal blame as something that falls on them personally.
To understand more about what's driving this rise in lithium-ion battery fires - and what can be done to prevent them - we spoke to the experts on the front line of the issue.
We spoke with Mid and West Wales Fire Service - the area with the second-highest number of recorded incidents for this type of lithium-ion battery fire.
Lithium-ion batteries power many everyday items, including mobile phones, laptops, e-bikes and power tools, but when they are damaged, incorrectly charged or disposed of in household waste and recycling bins, they can cause fires that develop rapidly and are difficult to extinguish.
We continue to see the risks these incidents pose, including at waste and recycling facilities and in refuse collection vehicles, where they can put workers, communities and emergency responders at risk.
Many of these fires are preventable, and we would urge people to recycle batteries and battery-powered devices responsibly through dedicated collection points.
Antonia Hristov, head of marketing here at Compare and Recycle, also shared her thoughts:
It might seem perfectly harmless to keep an old phone in a drawer, cupboard or under the bed, then a few months later throw it in the recycling bin, wishfully thinking it will get recycled.
But leaving unused devices around your home, or disposing of them in household waste or recycling bins, creates risks many people simply aren't aware of. Batteries in those devices can age, swell or, worse, become a fire hazard.
Our research shows these risks are very real: recorded lithium-ion battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites have risen by 475% since 2019 - a warning sign we can't ignore.
The 'out of sight, out of mind' approach doesn't work, and it never did. Nothing we throw away really goes away; it just becomes someone else's problem. Councils, government, and the tech industry all have a part to play in making safe disposal clearer and easier.
But on a personal level, change starts with seeing our everyday actions as part of the solution. Instead of putting electricals in the bin, find a local recycling facility that handles e-waste or take part in recycling initiatives.
Instead of leaving old devices in a drawer, take a moment to check whether they can be traded in for cash or sold on. Something that no longer has value to you could be a gem for someone else. If you want the problem solved, your own actions are a good place to start.
We submitted Freedom of Information requests to all 49 UK fire and rescue services, asking for the number of bin lorry or waste recycling centre fires suspected to be caused by lithium-ion or lithium batteries, covering 2019 to 2026. 2026 figures are partial, covering January to June only.
Of the 49 services, 46 responded. Six of these confirmed they had no data to provide, leaving 40 services with usable data. Of these 40, 21 services provided complete datasets covering the full 2019-2026 period.
To ensure accuracy and avoid skewing growth figures with services that only began recording partway through the period, all incident totals, national growth percentages, and regional comparisons in this report are based on these 21 services only. Collectively, these 21 services cover a population of nearly 27 million people.
These figures reflect incidents formally recorded and categorised as lithium-ion related by each service. Recording practices and terminology may vary between services, meaning the true number of incidents nationally may be higher than reported here.
The full dataset for these 21 services analysed is available upon request.
Regional per-capita rates were calculated by dividing each service's total incidents by its most recent published resident population, sourced from each fire service's own reports or secondary reports, and are expressed per 100,000 residents.
We also surveyed 2,000 UK adults, between 17th and 22nd July 2026, for all public opinion and behaviour statistics in this report.
Note on disposal method question: respondents were asked to rank all methods they had ever used for disposing of a lithium-ion battery device, in order of frequency. "Primary method" reflects the % who ranked an option first; "ever used" reflects the % who ranked the option at any position (i.e. 100% minus "not ranked").
Estimated figures (e.g., "11,033,000 people") are calculated by applying survey percentages to the latest ONS UK adult population estimate of 55,165,000 adults over 16 in the UK.
iOS 27 is here with a host of hidden tools, smarter AI, and useful upgrades. Could it change how you use your iPhone?
Apple has finally joined the foldable party after seven years, but was it right to wait?
iOS 27 is here! Check out key features and whether your iPhone is compatible.
