- FR
- EN |
- Access for Members
Over the past decade, the number of fires caused by lithium batteries in waste management facilities has increased. At end-of-life, batteries are often mis-sorted or intentionally left unsorted and mixed with household waste. Physical impact, shock, short circuit, or heat exposure can trigger a thermal event, such as fire, spark, or explosion. These events can have major economic consequences and pose significant risks to workers and the environment.
The aim of the study is to analyse accidents and incidents caused by lithium batteries in waste management facilities, to identify technical and organisational solutions to reduce the presence of batteries in household solid waste and to minimise the hazards associated with their accidental presence.
This report is based on a review of the literature on the topic, an analysis of the ARIA database and meetings with waste operators, producer responsibility organisations and recycling federations.
Publication date: August 2024
Achievement: SETEC ENERGIE ENVIRONNEMENT
Reference: RECORD, Dangerosité des piles et batteries lithium dans les filières de gestion des déchets ménagers et assimilés – analyse et propositions de gestion, 2024, 119 p, n°22-0175/1A
Report for RECORD members only
Disclaimer: The content of this publication is based on the state of knowledge and the regulatory framework in force at the time of publication of the documents.
Context
Over the past 20 years, the commercialisation of lithium batteries has increased and is expected to continue in the coming years.
Used batteries are hazardous waste that can harm people and the environment. In France, since 1999, batteries are included in an extended producer responsibility (EPR) strategy: they must be placed in one of 60,000 dedicated containers. However, this waste is not always disposed of properly: lithium batteries separated from their equipment and small WEEE (waste from electrical and electronic equipment) containing lithium batteries are regularly mis-sorted and mixed with household waste.
According to BARPI (French industrial risks and pollution analysis office) statistics, incidents in waste management facilities caused by lithium batteries have increased significantly since 2010. These fires have serious economic consequences and pose significant risks to workers and the environment.
Objectives and method
The main objective of this study is to analyse accidents and incidents caused by lithium batteries in waste management facilities, in order to recommend technical and organisational solutions to minimise the hazards associated with the presence of lithium batteries, while considering ways to reduce them.
The study was carried out from May 2023 to July 2024 and was divided into 3 phases:
Main results
Context, risks, organisations for the collection and treatment of lithium batteries
In France, 2 producer responsibility organisations for batteries have been approved by the government by the end of 2024: Corepile and Screlec. They are responsible for organising the collection and the treatment of used batteries to ensure compliance with the collection and recycling targets set by European legislation. In 2021, the collection rate of waste portable batteries was 43.5%, below the collection target of 45%.
WEEE (waste from electrical and electronic equipment) are managed by 2 other producer responsibility organisations: Ecologic and Ecosystem.
In the European Union, a new battery regulation came into force in August 2023 to promote a harmonised regulatory framework and a circular economy by covering the entire lifecycle of batteries, from production to waste management and possible second life. The regulation sets new targets for recycling efficiency, material recovery (lithium, cobalt, nickel, lead, copper), recycled content and collection rates from 45% to 73% in 2030. 5 categories of batteries have been defined, adding batteries for electric vehicle (EV) and light means of transport (LMT). From 2027, a QR code will provide access to a digital passport with detailed information on their capacity, sustainability, chemical composition and a “separate collection” symbol. Consumers will be able to remove and replace portable and MTL batteries in their electronic products.
The main components of a battery are the cathode, the anode, the electrolyte and the separator. The electrolyte, which consists of lithium salts dissolved in organic solvents, is considered one of the main causes of fire. If lithium batteries are exposed to high-temperatures, perforation or shocks, this can trigger a chain of chemical reactions known as thermal runaway: the temperature rises exponentially, leading to battery fire or even explosion. In waste management facilities, batteries are subjected to numerous impacts, compressions and crushes during transport, handling, sorting and treatment operations. They may also be exposed to inappropriate storage conditions, such as high temperatures or humid environments, which increase the risk of fire.
This study focuses on waste management facilities, i.e. transport (collection vehicles or mass transit vehicles), household waste and recyclables transfer stations, sorting facilities, waste-to-energy facilities, non-hazardous waste storage facilities and mechanical-biological treatment facilities.
Fires occur regularly in these facilities; the consequences vary depending on the speed of response and the location of the fire.
Analysis of fires caused by lithium batteries
In this second phase, the analysis came from:
Fires listed from ARIA database occurred in France from October 2017 to October 2023. During this period, 66 incidents related to lithium batteries were recorded in the facilities listed in the previous section.
The number of fires recorded is not representative of the actual number of fires associated with lithium batteries in waste facilities. The frequency of fires is higher: many fires are managed by the operators without being reported to BARPI. Due to the lack of remnant or the presence of other waste or explosive devices, the cause of the fire cannot always be determined. About three-quarters of the 66 incidents identified were probably caused by lithium batteries and the rest were definitely caused by lithium batteries.
About 60% of the fires occurred in materials recovery facility. The most destructive incidents took place in materials recovery facility, outside of operating hours, slowing down detection and/or intervention and making the fire control difficult.
Over the last few years, SUEZ has seen a 5% annual increase in the number of fires, taking all causes of fires into account, with an increase in the months of June to August. Excluding undetermined causes, lithium batteries are responsible for about 30% of the fires. The data was collected from January 2022 to August 2023. A total of 206 fires related to lithium batteries were recorded, mainly at non-hazardous waste storage facilities, sorting centres and waste-to-energy plants. Most of these fires were quickly extinguished by operators and were reported internally as part of a highly developed quality/safety policy.
In summary, fires in non-hazardous waste storage facilities or in waste-to-energy facilities are usually easily managed with limited spread and consequences. In household waste sorting centres, fires occurred mainly in the receiving area during waste unloading or handling, at the balers or packers, and during the sorting process. As the balers are identified as a risk area, they are often protected by an automatic extinguishing system and fire extinguishers: any fire is quickly detected and brought under control without too many consequences. The damage can be significant in the receiving area and the process: due to the calorific value of the waste (paper, cardboard, plastic, etc.) and the interlocking of the machines, fires can quickly become uncontrollable, with serious consequences.
Figure 1: Fire areas in sorting centres - ARIA and SUEZ database (RECORD compilation, 2024)
Accidents are highly seasonal, and the risk increases when fires start outside operating hours or in older facilities (some sites are outdated, without automatic detection, extinguishing system, or compartmentation).
Organisational and technical measures to limit improper disposal and to manage the risk related to the adventitious presence of lithium batteries
To solve this issue, measures can be implemented to limit improper disposal of lithium batteries.
Raising public awareness is a key issue: local authorities can be good relays of information, with financial and material support from producer responsibility organisations. In order to increase visibility and limit the multiplicity of messages, a large-scale communication campaign could be launched by the producer responsibility organisations most concerned (currently Corepile, Screlec, Ecosystem and Ecologic). It is also necessary to communicate the safety aspect, informing users about the fire risk of lithium batteries throughout their life and the consequences of improper disposal. Several communication campaigns carried out in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom can serve as examples.
Another way to reduce improper disposal is to increase the visibility of collection points, for example by placing them at the main entrances to shops. Wherever possible and easy, users should be encouraged to separate batteries from appliances before taking them to collection points. This could be done, for example, by advertising collection points. A label indicating the presence of batteries could be affixed to WEEE to improve the channelling of this waste. A hazard symbol specific to lithium batteries could also be added. Harmonised labelling would require legislation.
Even if sorting errors are reduced, raising user awareness of the need to sort will not guarantee the absence of lithium batteries in household waste. Technical and organisational measures can be taken to improve risk control.
Based on previous analyses, the risk and consequences are particularly significant for sorting centres. In France, several ministerial decrees have been published in late 2023/early 2024 in response to the increase of fires in the waste sector.
Sorting centres must be separated into 3 different areas by structural firebreaks: reception, process and storage. To limit the spread of fire, waste must be segregated in reception and storage areas. Specific protection is recommended for high-risk equipment such as magnet / eddy current separators (to capture ferrous and non-ferrous metal waste) or balers.
Once batteries have been identified or recovered, it is important to inform and train operators in their proper handling. Producer responsibility organisations can provide suitable containers for packaging batteries, such as metal barrels, with a safety procedure. These containers must be isolated from the rest of the waste or placed outside. WEEE containing batteries should also be stored under specific conditions.
Regarding fire detection, it is advisable to provide for:
Once detected, the faster the response, the greater the chance of controlling the fire. Since most fires start during operations, training of on-site personnel is a critical issue. All extinguishing systems (sprinklers, fire extinguishers, deluge, etc.) must be tested regularly. Closer relations with the fire services and regular unannounced drills are necessary for a more effective response. It will also be easier to provide as much information as possible before an accident (site plans, access, contacts, etc.).
In order to provide financial support to operators and encourage all sites to comply with standards, consideration could be given to sharing responsibility for losses between operators, producer responsibility organisations and insurers. For example, producer responsibility organisations could set up a specific fund to cover the costs of fires in waste management facilities. This could be achieved by incorporating the costs of lithium batteries fires into the EPR system, for example by increasing the eco-contribution for lithium batteries producers/distributors. The equivalent of a disaster fund could be established by insurance companies.
Some technological advances linked to artificial intelligence (AI) could reduce the risk of fire by identifying and isolating high-risk items before sorting. Many projects based on image recognition combined with AI are under development, either during waste collection (Ficha, Lixo, Rematics, etc.) or directly in the sorting process, such as Greyparrot, Viu More (detection of gas cylinders and soon batteries), Wasoria (development of a portal to detect hazardous waste) or the Declic project supported by FEDEREC and Team2. Other companies, such as LINEV Systems and the GRINNER project, are developing technologies that combine X-rays and artificial intelligence. This seems to be a very promising way to detect not only isolated batteries but also those embedded in WEEE. Once detected, there remains the issue of isolating these batteries/WEEE, which can be complex given the large flow of waste. These objects could be picked up by a robotic arm as with other types of waste (Recycleye, Waste Robotics, etc.).
Conclusions and outlook
Many batteries and small WEEE end up in household waste, either because they are mis-sorted or not sorted voluntarily. These items are subjected to shocks and/or stored in inappropriate conditions. If lithium batteries are exposed to abnormal conditions such as overheating, perforation or impact, an uncontrolled chemical reaction can occur, resulting in a thermal runaway and the risk of fire. Most household waste collection and treatment facilities are subject to regular fires, the consequences of which vary depending on the speed of response and the location of the fire.
Fires in sorting centres pose a risk of major damage, particularly if they occur in the reception area and in the process. Accidents are highly seasonal, and the risk increases when fires start outside operating hours or in older facilities.
To solve this problem, measures can be taken to limit mis-sorting and control the risk associated with the presence of lithium batteries in household waste. Raising public awareness about sorting and the hazards of lithium batteries is an important lever. Local authorities can be good information relays, with financial and material support from organisations. It also seems necessary to communicate on the safety aspect, informing users about the fire risk of lithium batteries and the consequences of incorrect sorting. For example, the introduction of an identification system (label, pictogram, etc.) for lithium batteries or WEEE containing lithium batteries could improve the sorting behaviour of users, but also make it possible to identify and isolate them in the sorting process.
Even if sorting errors are reduced, raising awareness will not guarantee the absence of lithium batteries in household waste or packaging. Risk control depends largely on the organisational measures in place at the sites, the time taken to detect the fire and how quickly it is extinguished. The risk of fire can be taken into account in the design of a sorting centre by dividing the buildings into 3 areas, segregating the waste, ensuring that the height of the stock is respected, and that the storage areas are not exceeded.
There is currently no mature technology for detecting and extracting lithium batteries, but several projects are under development. Technology combining X-rays and artificial intelligence seems particularly promising, as it could detect not only isolated batteries, but also those embedded in WEEE. To isolate these batteries/WEEE, several companies are investigating the possibility of using robotic arms to capture these objects. It will be interesting to see how these technologies develop over the next few years.
Subscribe to our newsletter and keep up to date with our latest news.