Why garbage trucks in Australia keep catching fire: Here’s what you should NEVER put in your bin
- There is an increase in rubbish catching fire in Sydney
- A garbage truck was on fire in Bardwell Valley
- Fire is caused by improper battery disposal
There has been an increase in garbage truck fires as lithium batteries are being disposed of with residents’ rubbish – with truck drivers urging Aussies to properly dispose of their devices.
Improper disposal of battery-powered devices has led to rubbish bins and refuse lorries catching fire across New South Wales.
Lithium batteries are found in many electronics, including phones, tablets, laptops, e-bikes and scooters, electric toothbrushes, vapes, power tools, and solar backup storage devices.
The batteries can cause fire during waste collection, transport, handling and processing.
As a result of the problem, there are an average of four fires in the state each week.
A refuse lorry caught fire in Bardwell Valley in Sydney’s Bayside Council area, while a laptop battery sparked another fire in a lorry in Lake Macquarie, NSW’s Hunter region, last month.
The improper disposal of lithium battery devices has led to an increase in rubbish and refuse truck fires in New South Wales
James Whitby, a garbage truck driver for the City of Canterbury-Bankstown, recalled his terrifying experience driving a truck that was on fire.
“You’re just trying to go through your head where can you tip it, how can I get out of the truck,” he told 9News.
“It doesn’t take long for it to go from a smoldering fire to a whole load on fire.
“We’re here to do a job and pick up trash cans — soon our trucks will be on fire.”
Kieran Peter, waste management coordinator for Lake Macquarie City Council, said the problem was becoming more common because of the carelessness of people throwing away their appliances.
“We’ve had instances where fires broke out in the trucks and community members have helped our staff fight fires with garden hoses while they waited for emergency services to arrive,” he said in a council press release.
“This is a very real threat to the safety of our personnel, vehicles, local residents and their property.”
He noted that fires even started in waste disposal facilities after appliances and batteries ended up in landfills.
Batteries and appliances can be disposed of free of charge at community center recycling points, supermarkets and retailers such as Woolworths, Aldi, Bunnings, Officeworks and Big W.
A refuse lorry caught fire in Bardwell Valley (pictured) in Sydney’s Bayside Council area, while a laptop battery sparked another lorry fire in Lake Macquarie last month
The City of Canterbury-Bankstown and Lake Macquarie City Council have launched campaigns to educate residents on the proper way to dispose of lithium battery devices
Lake Macquarie City Council launched an education campaign earlier this month entitled ‘Take Charge of Your Battery Waste’ to educate locals about the proper disposal of battery-powered appliances.
The City of Canterbury-Bankstown will also launch a campaign next week to raise awareness of the issue among residents.
According to Fire and Rescue NSW, there were 180 lithium battery fires in 2022.
This is more than just 16 fires in 2021.
Injuries from lithium battery fires are also on the rise.