Residents urged to dispose of batteries safely after fire at Ruthin recycling centre

Residents in Denbighshire are being advised to make sure they safely dispose of household batteries this festive season.

The advice comes following a fire in a skip at Ruthin recycling centre caused by batteries being put into residual waste.

The incident was dealt with by North Wales Fire and Rescue Service and no-one was injured.

Denbighshire County Council is now calling on residents to be vigilant when deciding to dispose of run down batteries over the Christmas period.

Cllr Barry Mellor, lead member for environment and transport, said: “The incident at Ruthin is a prime example of how incorrectly disposing of batteries can cause serious problems and it was lucky that this fire was contained.

“There will be many battery powered toys and gifts given during Christmas and we just want to advise people to make sure they can dispose of their spent batteries in the safest way.”

The council has highlighted that batteries can’t be recycled in blue mixed recycling bins or clear recycling sacks. People are encouraged to use rechargeable batteries where possible.

Batteries of any type must not be placed in any waste containers due to the fire risk.

The local authority has also pointed out that batteries are harmful to the environment and must be recycled by specialist companies.

All large electrical retailers and supermarkets are obliged by law to provide free recycling facilities allowing people to dispose of them safely.