Hibiscus Coast residents are asked to dispose of their batteries at recycling depots as they may cause fires in council collection trucks.

This appeal comes from the Auckland Council after a collection truck caught fire in Waimauku in Rodney due to batteries being discarded amongst household recycling or rubbish bins. 

It is reported that a lithium-ion battery came into contact with exposed copper wire from an electric deep fryer and ignited. Neither belonged in the truck in the first place! The fiery load was tipped out into the road and it didn’t take long before the flames grew larger until they were extinguished by firefighters.

The recycling centres on the Hibiscus Coast are E-Cycle (6 Titan Place, Silverdale), Whangaparāoa Community Recycling Centre (637 Whangaparaoa Road, Stanmore Bay), and HGH Services (Gate 6, 280 Postman Road, Dairy Flat). 

All types of batteries and other hazardous waste can be disposed of at these centres. Lithium-ion batteries are used in items like cordless power tools, cellphones, laptops, and power banks, and they must also be disposed of properly. 

The Auckland Council said there have been a reported 26 fires in collection trucks in the last 18 months due to batteries/electrical appliances that have been put into the household recycling and rubbish bins for collection. 

“If the battery is defective or crushed as part of the rubbish or recycling process, it could cause a fire. The best way to safely dispose of your battery and avoid a fire is to take it to a recycling depot that specifically accepts batteries and e-waste,” said Glenn Menzies, Fire and Emergency community risk manager.

Parul Sood, general manager of waste solutions at the Auckland Council said the fires pose a potential risk to the public, the drivers, and the trucks.

“A lithium-ion battery on its own is not dangerous, but if it is disposed of incorrectly or is put under pressure, then they can be dangerous,” he said. 

“Once drivers see a fire in a truck, they have to quickly find somewhere suitable to tip the load out, call Fire and Emergency to extinguish it, and try and determine the cause of the fire.”