The hidden danger of "zombie" batteries: thrown in the garbage, they are causing numerous fires in landfills

The hidden danger of

Dead batteries hidden in garbage cans or old electrical items can lead to very dangerous fires

Waste that catches fire, inexplicably. Often the fault lies with the arsonists but other times it is not men who ignite the flames. In fact, the fault lies with the "zombie batteries". No, Halloween has nothing to do with it and not even ghosts. The problem is closely linked to a bad human habit, that of not correctly differentiating exhausted batteries.





Perhaps sometimes this is due to carelessness and superficiality, but the result is that they can give rise to fires. That is why the Take Charge campaign was launched in the UK today by the Environmental Services Association (ESA), which represents many of the largest recycling and waste management companies in the country.

In the UK alone, according to the association's calculations, in just one year (between April 2019 and March 2020), there were around 260 fires caused by zombie batteries at recycling or waste management facilities.

What is a zombie battery?

Dead batteries hidden in garbage cans or old electrical items, such as phones, power tools, and laptops, are literally coming back from the grave. And there are millions. This pile of batteries is attacking waste management and recycling facilities, causing explosions and fires that can endanger lives.

Thrown in the trash or mixed with other recyclable materials such as paper, metals and plastics can be very dangerous.

"We call these 'zombie batteries' because they have a habit of returning from the 'dead' to terrorize recycling and waste facilities," explains ESA.

When general waste is collected, zombie batteries hiding inside are likely to be crushed, compacted, punctured, shredded, or soaked in liquid. When this happens, some can overheat or catch fire, causing fires that endanger lives, even causing damage to the environment and slowing down the waste disposal service.

Even when they do not cause a fire, when damaged, they contain chemicals and materials that can harm the environment. For this it is necessary to throw them in the appropriate bins or in the WEEE collection centers.

Take Charge made this short film to show what zombie batteries are and how they can become dangerous if they are not recycled responsibly.



Some rechargeable batteries are very powerful and can hold a lot of energy. If in normal use, they are safe, they can quickly cause fires if thrown in general waste if they are seriously damaged. The main types of rechargeable batteries are lithium ion (Li-ion), lithium polymer (LiPo), nickel cadmium (Ni-Cd, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) and lead acid.

Most are often found in portable electronic devices such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, cameras, power tools, remote controlled toys, drones, electric scooters or hoverboards, and even electronic cigarettes. Lead acid batteries are generally much larger and used in vehicles such as cars, golf carts, and handicapped scooters.

“By recycling batteries responsibly, you can make sure they end up in safe and specialized recycling facilities,” explains ESA. "We are very excited to launch the national Take Charge campaign on Monday, October 26, 2020. I look forward to sharing our campaign and inviting you to join us in the fight against zombie batteries by recycling batteries responsibly!"

Always remember to check before throwing away one of our electronic devices, let's find out about the WEEE collection points closest to us and avoid them ending up in landfills.


Sources of reference: Takecharge,

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  • Electric cars: Recycle old batteries to power homes and shops. The studio that leads the way
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