Public urged to recycle Christmas lights amid warning of waste system fires

The public is being urged to recycle any broken or unwanted Christmas lights this year amid concerns that batteries are causing a surge of fires in the waste system.

While the purchase and use of light-up electrical goods booms over the festive period, firefighters, waste management workers and recycling campaigners are calling on households to consider how they consume and dispose of these items.

They say lithium-ion batteries put in everyday rubbish bins can get crushed in bin lorries or at waste sites, which sparks fires that ultimately put firefighters, waste workers and communities at risk.

It comes as millions of Christmas lights and cheap electrical items – so-called “fast-tech” – are bought each year during the Christmas and New Year period, according to circular economy group Material Focus, which runs the Recycle Your Electricals campaign.

The group said Christmas lights and fast-tech should be recycled after use if they cannot be fixed, donated or sold, pointing to its online tool showing households the location of their nearest tech recycling point.

If possible, batteries should be removed from the item before being put in the recycling bin to lower the risk of waste management workers missing it and putting the item in the wrong waste stream, industry experts said.

Shawn Howlette, a London Fire Brigade station officer, said he has attended a number of suspected lithium-ion battery fires, including a complex operation to extinguish a bin lorry blaze in John Adam Street, central London, earlier this year.

Mr Howlette said these incidents can be “completely avoidable” as he urged the public to understand the risks of throwing away batteries and electricals in their everyday rubbish.

“Battery fires are becoming increasingly common,” he said.

“These are usually lithium-ion batteries, which are volatile, reignite suddenly and produce an extremely toxic smoke which should never be inhaled.

“For us at the fire service, these incidents, on occasion, can tie up a huge amount of resources, which affects our ability to be able to respond to other emergencies,” he said.

“My Christmas wish is for people to be aware to always recycle, and to never bin their batteries.”

‘Constant worry’

Danni Kelly, an assistant contract manager for a waste site owned by the firm Suez in Doncaster, said lithium batteries are a “constant worry” to those working in the sector.

Her colleague, Ricky Taylor, who works as a bin lorry loader, said he has experienced three battery fires this year alone.

“A fire in the back of a collection vehicle is one of the things we dread most,” he said.

“A battery can go from nothing to a full-blown blaze in seconds, putting not just me but the whole crew at risk.

“It’s really important people realise how common these fires are becoming.

“Unless we get the message out, more people are at risk of getting seriously hurt.”

In a survey sent to local authorities, Material Focus asked if the areas had experienced fires caused by crushed or damaged batteries in the waste stream.

Of the 77 that responded, there was an average of more than three fires per area from 2023 to 2024, with many taking place in bins and waste centres.

This means there could have been around 1,200 fires caused by batteries in the waste system across all UK local authority areas.

Of the 53 areas that responded to the detailed survey, 50 (94%) said fires are increasing.

Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, said: “We understand Fast-Tech Christmas lights and gifts, and the traditions around them, help make Christmas the most joyful time of year for many.

“But as we reach the new year, the novelty’s worn off or the festive lights have broken yet again, why not start 2026 by creating your own positive impact?

“If it can’t be fixed, donated or sold, always recycle them.”