The video shows the fire starting in a teal-coloured baler following an explosion which sends debris into the air. A second explosion follows shortly after, though the fire suppression system is activated.
Bristol city council’s in-house waste company has called on residents to take empty gas canisters to household waste recycling centres and place batteries and electrical items in an untied clear plastic bag inside their black recycling boxes.
Bristol Waste says it has seen an increase in the number of fires caused by residents wrongly putting flammable items their recycling. It says it has experienced seven fires in 2022 already.
Lucy Edgar, SHEQ director at Bristol Waste, said: “Batteries are filled with precious materials that can go on to have a new life if recycled properly, but put in the wrong place, they can be lethal.
“Batteries should be placed in a clear bag and placed in the black recycling boxes. The clear bag stops them getting wet and ensures our crews can clearly see what they are.”
Explosion
Craig Powell, Bristol Waste’s contract manager for processing, was onsite at the Albert Road depot when the fire in the film broke out.
He said: “We heard the explosion, which is when you see the debris fly in the air, and within seconds there were flames.
“We were lucky with this one. The fire systems we have in place ensured it was controlled before it became too big.”
Mr Powell added: “People think because they are empty or flat, cannisters and batteries are safe, but they act like little bombs which are surrounded by dry flammable recycling – it’s really dangerous.”
Canisters
Waste and recycling companies are growing increasingly concerned about a rise in the number of gas canisters appearing in waste streams.
In July, Wakefield council reported an explosion at its sorting facility in South Kirkby caused by a gas canister in the recycling that was compressed during baling (see letsrecycle.com story).
The Waste Industry Safety and Health (WISH) is drafting guidance on gas canisters which it expects to be ready in mid-2023 (see letsrecycle.com story).
Bristol
Representing an estimated population of more than 465,000, Bristol city council had a household waste recycling rate of 46.4% in the 2020/21 financial year.
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