Fire chiefs and council officials have urged the public not to bin disposable vapes after more than 60 fires were caused by this activity at just one waste processing plant last year.
Lincolnshire County Council said the blazes occurred at its site near Grantham by wrongfully discarded electronic cigarettes.
The local authority joined the county’s fire and rescue service in reminding people never to put “any kind of battery, electrical or vape in any bin or bag”.
Rachel Stamp, waste partnership and projects manager at the council, said describing electronic cigarettes as ‘disposable’ was “really misleading”.
“All vapes contain a battery, and if you throw them in your bin, they can be damaged during processing, which causes a spark that can start a fire. This has led to fires in bin lorries and at our recycling sites,” she said.
“General waste and recycling gets compacted a number of times on its journey from your home to the energy-from-waste plant or recycling centre, and it takes just one battery or vape to set the whole load alight.”
Dan Moss, area manager for prevention and protection at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue, added: “Fires at waste sites or in vehicles can often be difficult to extinguish, and can have serious effects on the environment, the safety of firefighters and local communities.”
Lincolnshire’s 11 recycling centres have specific containers for vapes, batteries and small and large electrical items.
