A dangerous incident at the Lakes Creek Road Waste Management Facility last week has reignited the importance of proper battery disposal.
While loading household recyclables on a truck bound for the Material Recovery Facility (MRF), a lithium-ion battery ignited within the load.
Fortunately, swift action by Waste and Recycling staff prevented injury to the driver or damage to the truck and the Waste Transfer Station.
Waste and Recycling Councillor Shane Latcham said this is a major blow to staff and operations and is a stark warning of the dangerous consequences of improper disposal of batteries.
"Unfortunately this incident resulted in the loss of 18 tonnes of household recyclable materials, which is equivalent to the recycling efforts of 3,000 households in our entire Central Queensland community," Cr Latcham said.
"The recyclables in the truck were thoroughly wet down and once it was safe to do so, moved to another location on site where they were unloaded and continuously wet down to prevent the fire spreading.
"We could have been facing a much worse outcome had the fire ignited on the highway or on one of the two major bridges. In any instance like this, drivers must immediately dump any load that has ignited at the nearest safe location like a park or the side of the road.
"Not only does this cause significant environmental damage but leads to a dangerous situation for other motorists. If the load cannot be dumped safely, the driver must abandon the truck resulting in the loss of a $450,000 vehicle and trailer.
"This incident highlights the danger our waste management workers are exposed to due to the careless disposal of batteries."
In the past 12 months, at least 2 to 4 fire related incidents have occurred per month as a direct result of improper battery disposal.
"When you throw batteries away, they end up in our waste and recycling trucks, waste transfer station, recycling facilities and landfill where they become crushed, creating a spark and causing fires that risk the safety of our truck drivers, machine operators and critical assets," Cr Latcham said.
"The battery that caused the fire was located once the fire was safely extinguished. The battery could be found in anything from a mobile phone battery to a battery from a children's toy, or even a rechargeable tool battery.
"These incidents are easily avoidable if everyone does their part. Remember the golden rule - Don't toss them, Tape them, and Take them.
"You can help keep our staff and facilities safe by placing batteries in a glass jar with a label, taping the battery terminals, and dropping them off at your nearest free collection point."
Free battery drop-off points are available at all seven of Council's Waste Facilities along with many shopping centres, supermarkets, hardware stores and various retailers.
Use the Recycle Mate app or search engine on Council's website to find your nearest drop-off point.
