User menu

Warning Issued After Batteries Linked to Waste Fires

It is estimated that over 260 fires at waste sites across the UK have been caused by batteries in the last year, and as a result of these issues the way the Council collects and recycles batteries is changing.Household batteries will no longer be collected from the kerbside and should now be taken to one of the many Community Recycling Centres or to a local participating retail outlet.Loose batteries have caused a number of issues to the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) in Rhondda Cynon Taf. The batteries can become jammed/stuck and break the machine or cause a fire at the sorting site.Household, standard batteries (AA, AAA, C. D) can no longer be placed into orange battery recycling bags and placed out at the kerbisde for recycling. This follows a number of incidents where residents have incorrectly placed loose batteries into their CLEAR recycling bags or black bag waste.The Council is asking residents to dispose of their batteries responsibly, by saving them up and taking them to either a Community Recycling Centre when they are visiting next or one of the many participating battery recycling retail outlets.If a battery is collected as part of the general recycling or waste collection, then there is a risk that the batteries could be pierced by the crusher on the collection vehicle and become unstable. This could lead to the battery sparking or igniting and causing a fire in the back of the refuse truck – which will need to be dealt with safely and could delay collections.Many household items also contain lithium chargeable batteries – these items are also hazardous and should not be put into your kerbside waste or recycling. All waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) can be taken to a Community Recycling Centre.There are currently six Community Recycling Centres (CRC) in Rhondda Cynon Taf:
  • Ty Amgen Community Recycling Centre, Llwydcoed, Aberdare, CF44 0BX
  • Ferndale Community Recycling Centre, North Road, Ferndale, CF43 4RS
  • Dinas Community Recycling Centre, Cymmer Road, Dinas, CF39 9BL
  • Ty Glantaf Community Recycling Centre, Taffs Fall Road, Treforest Industrial Estate, CF37 5TT
  • Llantrisant Recycling Centre, Pant-Y-Brad Road off Heol-Y-Sarn, Llantrisant Industrial Estate, CF72 8YT
  • Treherbert Community Recycling Centre, Treherbert Industrial Estate, Treherbert, CF42 5HZ 
All Community Recycling Centres across Rhondda Cynon Taf are currently open from 8am until 7.30pm and are operating under strict COVID-19 Rules.Councillor Ann Crimmings, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Leisure and Heritage Services, said:“I would urge residents to follow the new collection process and to dispose of their batteries responsibly.“Our Community Recycling Centres help provide daily access for our residents to recycling services. Simply keep your batteries to one side and the next time you visit a centre, drop them in the available recycling bin. Alternatively, all retail outlets that sell batteries, should now have in store recycling facilities available.”RCT residents have always been great recyclers and I know that they will continue their fight against waste to help RCT meet its target to recycle over 80% of its waste by 2024/25. Keep up the great work RCT” For further information on the Community Recycling Centres and the current rules that are in place visit www.rctcbc.gov.uk/CRCsRules.