Residents are being urged to take extra care when disposing of items this festive season, as hidden batteries could pose serious risks. Authorities across the Liverpool City Region are working with Recycle Your Electricals to encourage residents to join the ‘Stop Battery Fires’ campaign, which sets out to encourage the recycling of batteries and electrical gifts as part of an effort to reduce the surge of fires in the waste stream.
In the UK, there were over 1,200 battery fires during 2023/24, an increase of 71% in 2022 – with many taking place in bin lorries, waste transfer stations and Recycling Centres as a result of batteries and electricals being binned or incorrectly recycled. Since January 2024 there have been 155 fires at the MRWA/SUEZ Rail Transfer Loading Station in Kirkby, Knowsley – 61 in 2024 and 94 in 2025 so far.
Many everyday items—such as toys, power tools, vapes, small electrical gadgets, and even some Christmas card, contain batteries that are not immediately visible. These batteries often include hazardous materials like lithium, mercury, lead, and cadmium. If thrown into household bins, they can cause fires in bins, collection vehicles, and at recycling centres. In addition to being dangerous, these materials are valuable and can be recovered for reuse. By recycling batteries properly, residents help prevent accidents and support sustainability.
What to do:
- Check items for batteries before disposal.
- Remove batteries where possible and recycle them at designated collection points.
- Never put batteries or battery-powered items in household bins.
To help people dispose of these batteries safely the council’s Recycling Engagement Team is bringing its Mobile Recycling Centre to Huyton and Kirkby libraries before Christmas to highlight the importance of disposing of electrical items in the correct way.
Residents can also recycle their small electricals, batteries, vapes and textiles at the events.
The team will be at:
Huyton Library: Monday 22 December 1pm-3pm
Kirkby Library: Tuesday 23 December 1pm – 3pm
There are also two Household Waste Recycling Centres in Knowsley that accept batteries. They’re at Wilson Road, Huyton (L36 6AD) and Depot Road, Kirkby (L33 3AR).
Residents can also find dedicated drop-off locations for battery disposal at many shops and supermarkets. Here’s more information about recycling batteries.
To find your nearest recycling point residents can use the Recycle Your Electricals postcode locator.