Collecting trash around a neighborhood in garbage trucks is not high up in most peoples’ priorities. The rubbish often leaves unpleasant smells, and some people still deposit sharp objects in garbage bags. But who would have thought we would see spent batteries igniting garbage trucks ten years ago? Especially since this is all so easily avoidable.
More Spent Batteries Igniting Garbage Trucks in UK
Cambridge Independent news channel posted an article on August 24, 2023, drawing our attention to this stubborn problem once again. Not one, but two garbage truck fires broke out in Cambridgeshire, England within a single hour. These fires endangered crews, damaged expensive vehicles, and took fire fighters to extinguish them.
However, those fires are not unique to the United Kingdom. On August 2, 2023 the City of Tampa issued an advisory on CNN News. This alert concerned a spate of what it called ‘hot loads’ during the recent heat wave. And it blamed “lithium-ion batteries and hazardous chemicals for causing fires in garbage trucks”.
Those trash fires have been a problem for us in recent months, Wayne Jackson of City of Tampa Department of Solid Waste told CNN News. “They can cause a great explosion, they can cause property damage, they can cause pedestrian damage, anyone within the proximity [is at risk]”.
Tampa Issues an Appeal for Greater User Care
Mike Parsons, operations manager for Greater Cambridge Shared Waste blamed lithium-ion batteries for causing the two incidents, despite efforts to simplify the system. However across the Atlantic Tampa, officials took a broader view. Both faulty batteries and chemicals were overheating, leading to expensive, dangerous fires, they believed.
Barbara Tripp, Tampa Fire Chief advises there are warning signs a lithium-ion battery is overheating. “Changing of the color, too much heat, the shape, and you might see some liquid leaking out of the item,” she explained. Bring your spent batteries to a recycling point, and the City will take care of the rest.
More Information
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Preview Image: Garbage Truck in New Jersey
