North Warwickshire Borough Council has issued a plea to residents following the third fire in a local authority vehicle over the last four months.
The incident last Friday took place in Atherstone, with the fire service being required to remain at the scene for two hours to put out the fire.
A statement has since been issued by the council, reminding residents of the harms caused by incorrect battery disposal and highlighting the ‘operationally disruptive and financially significant’ consequences of refuse vehicle fires.
Reiterating the repercussions of discarding batteries with general waste, the local authority said that it risks explosions, endangering both the council’s collection crews and the public.
The statement also revealed that resources are dented by these incidents, with bin lorries costing £300,000 to replace and temporary bin lorry hires being priced at £1,000 per week.
Urging residents to stop discarding batteries and electrical items in public litter bins, general waste or recycling bins, the council statement signposted the locations that the public can use as safe disposal points.
Cllr Margaret Bell, Chair of Community and Environment Board, said: ‘We cannot stress enough the importance of using the correct disposal methods. Please take batteries and electricals to designated collection points or your local recycling centre.
‘Small actions from residents make a huge difference in keeping our crews safe and preventing incidents like this from happening again.’
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Photo: © North Warwickshire Borough Council.
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