Fires in garbage trucks caused by hazardous waste

Council waste collection workers were lucky to escape injury in recent weeks after the contents of two garbage trucks caught fire during routine collections.

During one of the hottest days of 2020, with state-wide fire restrictions in place, a garbage truck collecting vegetation in Seaforth caught alight after a battery that had been wrongly placed in green waste sparked when the matter was compacted. The entire load had to be dumped onto the road to enable attending fire fighters to completely extinguish the material.

This incident posed a serious threat to staff, as well as neighbouring residents and vulnerable bushland along Wakehurst Parkway. During the ensuing very lengthy traffic hold-ups, police had to be called in to redirect traffic. Once the waste was fully extinguished, additional Council workers were required to assist in recollecting all the material for disposal.

The irresponsible disposal was not only dangerous, but those responsible may be liable for the costs of the response agencies involved.

In a separate incident in Bilgola Plateau, a garbage truck’s load also caught fire when bulky goods being collected contained concealed fuel cans.

Hazardous waste items should never be disposed of with regular household rubbish as they can cause sparks when compacted in a garbage truck or at a sorting facility.

These incidents remind us of the dangers of throwing items like batteries or other hazardous items the bin. Whether it’s standard AAA or AA batteries we use in television remotes and children’s toys, to lithium batteries, spray cans, gas cylinders and chemical containers, we all need to make sure we dispose of them responsibly.

Batteries contain toxic metals including cadmium, mercury and lead and can cause fires and be dangerous for the environment.

Take used household batteries for recycling to Battery World, or our Council Customer Service at Avalon, Dee Why, Manly and Mona Vale or to your nearest Aldi store. 

Alternatively you can take household or car batteries to the  Household Chemical CleanOut Collection for free or to the  Belrose Resource Recovery Centre or Kimbriki Resource Recovery Centre where fees and conditions apply.

NSW Environment Protection Authority runs free chemical collection days at various sites throughout the year. The collection accepts all household chemicals. For more information call the Environment Line on 131 555 or visit Household Chemical CleanOut.

Council has an A to Z Guide to Recycling to help you dispose of restricted items responsibly.

Residents are reminded that if their hazardous items are incorrectly presented for collection in household waste which can cause fires or other dangerous events, they may be liable for the costs incurred by the response agencies.

Remember, you can also report illegal dumping to Council through our online Customer Service portal.