RESIDENTS are being urged not to put batteries in their waste or recycling bins this Christmas to help protect collection crews.
Batteries when put in the bin or recycled can leak harmful fluid when crushed or spark, which can cause a fire, posing a risk to collection crews.
A fire in a bin lorry collecting in Larkspur Drive in Evesham earlier this year is believed to have been caused by batteries mixed in with rubbish, causing the crew to tip the load into the street while firefighters tackled the flames.
Research shows across the UK 189million batteries will be used to power various devices over the festive period.
But worryingly, about a quarter of UK households admit to throwing batteries in either their waste or recycling bin.
Coun Emma Stokes, Executive Board Member for Resident and Customer Services on Wychavon District Council, said: “The incident in Evesham earlier this year showed there is a very real risk to our crews from batteries being put into waste and recycling bins.
“Please do your bit to protect our crews and the environment by disposing of your batteries correctly.
“If possible, choose rechargeable batteries as a more sustainable option.”
Batteries can be recycled in several ways, including dropping them off at recycling points, putting them on top of your black bin for bin crews to put them in a safe place or visiting a Household Recycling Centre.
