Zombie Lithium Batteries – An Ongoing Explosive Problem
Zombie lithium batteries continue to be the main causing of fires at waste and recycling parts, with the issue leading to hundreds of fires each year.
A zombie battery of any kind is effectively a battery that is considered dead and is discarded to waste. In the case of lithium batteries, which are increasingly used in electronic devices such as mobile phones and power tools, the battery itself is not necessarily discharged when the electronic device is consigned to waste.
Many of these devices and batteries are still disposed of in general waste and are often punctured in the process of handling them. Lithium-ion batteries can ignite or explode when damaged and will therefore set fire to other waste materials.
Lithium batteries are classified as dangerous goods class 9 and legislation relating to their transport has been constantly changing now they are used in more and more products worldwide.
As a result of the ongoing issue, most UK councils now support the National Take Charge campaign, which aims to tackle the serious problem of recycling and waste fires caused by carelessly discarded “zombie batteries”.
Evolution specialise in the detailed control measures needed to move and store products with lithium batteries both domestically and internationally. During the logistics process, specialist packing, marking and labeling is needed, along with segregation from other dangerous goods products, but controls surrounding their waste are less demanding.
