Battery sparks bin lorry fire – always place the correct items in your bins
Last updated: 30/10/2026
Residents in Rushcliffe are being asked to always check the correct items are placed in the correct bins after a lithium battery, believed to be from a vape, sparked a small fire in a bin lorry that was incorrectly placed in a grey bin.
The message to residents comes after the explosion in the vehicle on Patrick Road in West Bridgford, which was put out with the aid of Notts Fire and Rescue.
Nearly all of its load had to be dumped on the road to help locate and extinguish the fire and it subsequently took the Council’s Streetwise team over two hours to clear the mountain of waste back into smaller waste vehicles.
All the items you can place in each bin and what should be disposed of at a recycling centre, bulky or other items collection can be found at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/bincollections
The Council recycles batteries but only if placed in a bag on top of a bin and placed on any colour bin and lithium batteries and vapes should be disposed of responsibly at local waste recycling centres.
In blue recycling bins there should only be paper, card, mixed food and drinks cans, yoghurt pots, margarine tubs, plastic bottles and Tetra Pak such as orange juice, chopped tomato, milk and custard containers. They should never contain glass, batteries or electrical items.
Remember to place glass bottles and jars in purple lidded bins.
The grey bin is for household waste that cannot be recycled or composted in your blue or green bin or at bring sites. Please wrap food waste in paper or plastic bags before placing in the bin and keep the lid shut.
The green bin is for grass cutting, hedge clippings, twigs and small branches, weeds, flowers, plants, leaves and bark.
RBC’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Environment and Safety Cllr Rob Inglis said: “The fire is a stark reminder it’s vital you place the right items in the right bin and thank you to residents who always take the time to do this.
“To the minority, irresponsible actions like this can place our teams at huge risk and the subsequent clear up has been significant.
“Please dispose of vapes and their batteries at your local recycling centre or place the batteries in a separate bag on the top of any bin when put out for collection.
“Small electrical items from this list can also be placed on the top of blue bins or other items should be carefully at your local recycling centre or through our bulky waste service.
“Fires like this are sadly more common across the country. Please play your part and do not put our brilliant waste teams at risk by placing vapes, batteries or other electrical items in any bin.”
