Redland City Council has urged the community to ensure their used batteries are disposed of correctly after two separate waste and recycling trucks caught fire in one morning.
The incidents happened within hours of each other on Monday morning, 19 May, resulting in the drivers having to unload the burning waste and recyclables and evacuate their vehicles at Capalaba Regional Park.
Up to 30 burnt batteries were found mixed up in the recycling materials unloaded from one of the trucks.
The incidents serve as an important reminder to the community about the dangers of placing hazardous materials such as lithium-ion batteries in kerbside waste and recycling bins.
Batteries are particularly dangerous as they can catch fire and, in certain cases, explode if they are damaged or exposed to a heat source.
Placing batteries in a kerbside bin or disposing of them at a Council Recycling and Waste Centre puts waste truck drivers, emergency services and the broader community at risk.
They are also harmful to the environment and have the potential to cause damage to waste and recycling trucks, as well as waste disposal and processing infrastructure.
All batteries and other hazardous items, such as flares, hot ash, gas bottles and volatile substances, should be disposed of in the appropriate locations.
It also pays to know what household items are battery-powered to avoid a battery being disposed of accidentally in a kerbside waste or recycling bin.
Everyday items such as mobile phones, laptops, power tools, vacuums, vapes, children’s toys, e-scooters and e-bikes all contain lithium-ion batteries and could cause a fire if they are not disposed of correctly.
For information on local drop-off points for batteries, visit bcycle.com.au. More information on the risks and safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries is also available on the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website.
