Wiltshire residents are being reminded not to dispose of battery appliances including vapes in their rubbish bins after new research showed fires had cost the waste industry more than £1 billion a year.
Figures from the Environment Services Association (ESA), the trade body for waste management companies, show there have been more than 1,500 recycling centre fires this year, with a third directly attributed to lithium-ion batteries.
There were a further 216 battery fires in bin lorries.
In Wiltshire, nine fires have been attributed to batteries in the past 12 months - five at its waste facilities and four in its collection vehicles.
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Waste operator Hills blamed vapes, headphones and toys as examples of items with embedded batteries that pose the risk.
"Everyone should remember that if any device lights up, moves, buzzes, or puffs and isn’t plugged in, it’s powered by a battery – and should never be binned," said a spokesperson for the firm.
Divisional managing director Neil Pollard said: “I am worried that these fires will cause serious injury and property damage.
"Hills has been lucky so far with its teams and crews from Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service attending to very difficult incidents quickly and safely.
“But, with batteries responsible for five fires at our facilities and a further four in our vehicles over the last year alone, I would encourage members of the public and businesses to think more carefully about the correct way to dispose of their batteries.”
And Cllr Paul Sample, Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for environment, climate and waste, said: "Lithium-ion batteries are increasingly common in everyday household items, but when they are disposed of incorrectly they pose a serious fire risk to collection crews, waste facilities and the wider public.
“Even a small battery can cause significant damage if it becomes crushed or damaged during the waste collection and recycling process.
"That's why batteries, vapes and electrical items should never be placed in household rubbish or recycling bins.
"Residents can recycle batteries and many small electrical items, such as vapes, through Wiltshire Council's free kerbside collection service.
"We simply ask that old batteries are placed in a clear sealed bag on top of the recycling bin, and small electrical items placed in a bag alongside your bin.
"Larger electrical items can be taken to one of our household recycling centres."
The councillor said residents needed to be mindful of the risk of fire when disposing of electrical items.
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“We would encourage residents to take a few extra moments to dispose of these items safely using the recycling facilities available across Wiltshire," he said.
"By doing so, they can help protect our staff, reduce the risk of fires and ensure valuable materials are recycled properly."
The Environment Services Association said a £5 deposit scheme on vape devices could reduce the number discarded in general waste.
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