Residents warned of battery danger after recycling lorry catches fire

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and Recycle for Greater Manchester (R4GM) are urging residents to take care when disposing of items containing batteries after a lorry caught fire last week.

The lorry operated by GMCA’s waste contractor SUEZ was travelling from Longley Lane waste processing facility in Wythenshawe to a paper and card recycling facility in Partington when the large quantity of paper and cardboard it was carrying burst into flames around 8pm on Monday, September 1.

GMFRS quickly arrived on the scene and spent five hours extinguishing the fire using specialist equipment, saving the lorry trailer. Thankfully nobody was injured during the incident.

A subsequent investigation found that the fire had been caused by a lithium-ion battery, likely found in a vape or small electrical item which had incorrectly been put in a paper recycling bin.

Whilst the quick action of firefighters ensured the lorry was saved in this instance, the outcome could have been much worse. A discarded battery can ignite in the back of a bin lorry or at a waste or recycling facility posing a significant risk of damage to vehicles, machinery, and infrastructure. An incident of this nature on a major road could also cause severe traffic disruption.

The number of fires in Greater Manchester caused by batteries has increased in recent years, with 195 reported over 2022/2023 compared to 271 over 2024/2025, a 39% increase.

In addition, 2024-25 saw 14 incidents involving disposed batteries in Greater Manchester, compared to a total of 13 incidents across the two years prior. This increase shows no sign of slowing down this year so far, with 7 incidents recorded already since 1 April 2025. In the UK, 1.6bn batteries were thrown away in the last year, over 3,000 a minute.

Area Manager Billy Fenwick, GMFRS’ Head of Prevention, said:

“It is vitally important that we correctly dispose of batteries and items containing batteries like vapes, because the consequences can be devastating if we don’t.

“We work alongside R4GM to alert people to the dangers of improper disposal and inform them of where they can discard their batteries safely.

“Batteries can be found in a lot of our everyday items so please follow the advice and be extra careful when disposing of batteries.”

Cllr Tom Ross, Greater Manchester lead for Waste and Recycling said:

“The recent fire in the SUEZ vehicle is a stark reminder of the dangers that batteries pose when they are not disposed of correctly. This incident highlights the significant risks to the public and to the staff running the waste site.

“We urge all residents to be ‘Battery Aware’ and to follow the guidance to recycle batteries at designated points. Placing batteries in household bins, including recycling, can have serious consequences and is a risk we all need to take seriously.”

All batteries, including lithium-ion batteries found in vapes, need to be disposed of at household waste recycling centres or recycling points found at supermarkets, shops, or workplaces.

GMFRS and R4GM run the ‘Be Battery Aware’ campaign with the aim of reducing the number of battery related incidents across the city-region.

There are some simple steps you can take to ensure that you dispose of batteries, and items containing batteries, safely:

• Dispose of batteries and items containing batteries at household waste recycling centres or recycling points at electrical retailers.
• Do not put old batteries or electrical items in any of your household bins, including recycling bins
• Anything with a plug, cable or battery can be recycled. Find your nearest recycling point https://www.recycleyourelectricals.org.uk/
• Check items for hidden batteries and remove them before recycling, if you can’t remove them, place the electrical item including the battery in the electrical recycling container at a retailer or recycling centre
• Return vapes to where you bought them as retailers are obligated to provide a take-back scheme

Please visit the Recycle for Greater Manchester website or your local council website for more information on how to recycle your batteries.