Recycling alert after battery explodes in waste collection lorry in France
Double check your recycling bins or when using your local déchetterie
Check with your local mairie or staff if in any doubt about how to sort or dispose of your waste
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Authorities in France are warning people to double-check they are correctly recycling waste, after an incorrectly disposed battery exploded in a waste collection lorry.
The lithium battery exploded in a lorry after it picked up recycling waste that should not have contained batteries.
No one was injured, and quick-thinking employees promptly unloaded and extinguished the waste. However, the incident in Damprichard, Doubs (part of the the Communautés de communes du pays de Maîche, in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté) at the end of April could have had more serious consequences.
Batteries – particularly lithium ones commonly used in devices like laptops – should not be disposed of with household waste, as they can pose risks such as chemical burns or explosions if damaged or leaking. Instead, they should be taken to designated recycling bins or centres, where they can be handled and disposed of safely.
“A lithium battery exploded in one of our waste collection lorries, which could have injured our workers and seriously damaged our machines,” said Julien Klinguer, technical director of the Communauté de communes du pays de Maîche, to Ici Besançon.
He issued a warning about the importance of recycling correctly, and said that potentially dangerous mistakes still happen too often. “Our lorries travel 75,000 km per year, and with 65 recycling points, there are sorting errors made every day,” he said.
Explosion clean-up
Batteries are among the riskiest items, but other potential explosives include nitrous oxide cylinders, which are becoming increasingly common due to their use as recreational drugs.
When these explode after being incorrectly sorted, the damage and cost can be significant, said Dominique Bernard, vice president in charge of waste management at the Communautés de communes du pays de Maîche.
"They explode at the Préval incineration plant in Pontarlier (Doubs), and in the event of an explosion, we have to repair the damage – but first, we have to wait two days for the furnaces to cool down. As a result, there is tens of thousands of euros in damage, and in the end, everyone pays for these costs," he said.
Mr Bernard recommends that anyone using a local déchetterie (waste disposal and recycling centre), or who sorts waste into recycling into bins at home, should check with the local mairie or staff if they are in any doubt about how to sort their waste or where to dispose of a specific item.
