Update: Featured on ITV Calendar
On 29 July 2026, ITV Calendar visited KCM Waste Management to cover the incident and help raise awareness of the dangers of incorrectly disposing of lithium batteries.
Since the fire, the campaign has reached hundreds of thousands of people across social media and news platforms, helping educate households and businesses on safe battery disposal.
Click below to watch the full ITV feature:
Turning a Difficult Incident into an Opportunity to Educate
Following the recent lithium-ion battery fire involving one of our waste collection vehicles, KCM Waste Management was pleased to welcome the ITV Calendar news team to our Rotherham headquarters to help raise awareness of the growing dangers posed by incorrectly disposed batteries.
While no business ever wants to experience an incident like this, we made the decision to speak publicly because this issue extends far beyond KCM. Lithium-ion battery fires are becoming an increasingly common challenge across the waste and recycling industry, placing collection crews, recycling facilities, emergency services and the public at risk.
By sharing our experience, we hope to encourage more people to dispose of batteries safely and help prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
ITV Calendar Visits KCM Waste Management
The ITV Calendar team spent the afternoon at our site filming the aftermath of the incident and interviewing members of our management team about what happened and why battery safety is becoming such an important issue.
Interviews were carried out with:
- Keith Hickling – Site Managing Director
- Lisa Smith – Sales Director
- Gareth Hickling – General Manager
- Ellie Hickling – Commercial Manager
During the interviews, we discussed the incident itself, how lithium-ion batteries can ignite when damaged during the waste collection process, and the importance of increasing public awareness around battery recycling.
What Happened?
The incident occurred after an incorrectly disposed lithium-ion battery entered one of our waste collection vehicles.
As the waste was compacted during normal collection operations, the battery became damaged and ignited, causing a fire at the rear of the vehicle.
Thankfully, thanks to the professionalism of our driver and the rapid response of South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue, nobody was injured.
Although the vehicle suffered significant damage, our primary concern has always been ensuring everyone’s safety and preventing similar incidents from occurring elsewhere.
Why Couldn’t The Load Be Ejected?
One question we’ve received frequently is why the waste couldn’t simply be emptied from the vehicle.
Our driver immediately attempted to eject the load.
Unfortunately, the fire developed at the rear of the wagon, where the hydraulic pipes and electrical wiring responsible for operating the eject mechanism are located.
As the fire intensified, these systems became damaged, making it impossible to safely eject the waste.
Once South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue had extinguished the fire, specialist equipment was required to force open the rear of the vehicle so firefighters could ensure every remaining hotspot had been fully extinguished.
Why Lithium Batteries Are Such a Growing Risk
Lithium-ion batteries are now found in thousands of everyday products, including:
- Mobile phones
- Laptops
- Tablets
- Disposable and rechargeable vapes
- Power tools
- Children’s toys
- Electric toothbrushes
- Smart watches
- Wireless headphones
- Cameras
- Power banks
- E-bikes and e-scooters
When these batteries are thrown into general waste or mixed recycling, they can become crushed or damaged during collection and processing.
This damage can trigger thermal runaway—a rapid chemical reaction that causes the battery to overheat, release flammable gases and ignite.
Unlike many other fires, lithium-ion battery fires can spread quickly and are extremely difficult to extinguish.
The Numbers Behind The Problem
According to Material Focus, battery fires are increasing across the UK:
- More than 1,200 battery fires occurred in UK waste vehicles and recycling facilities in a single year.
- Around 1.6 billion batteries are thrown away every year.
- More than 1.1 billion of those could have been recycled instead.
- Approximately 3,000 batteries are discarded every minute across the UK.
These figures highlight why battery disposal is no longer simply an environmental issue—it’s also a significant public safety concern.
How You Can Help Prevent Future Fires
The safest way to prevent incidents like this is by ensuring batteries never enter general waste.
Please remember:
❌ Never place batteries in your household waste bin.
❌ Never throw batteries into mixed recycling.
Instead:
✔ Use your local household recycling centre.
✔ Take batteries to supermarket collection points.
✔ Return batteries to participating retailers.
✔ Recycle disposable and rechargeable vapes through dedicated schemes where available.
Taking just a few extra moments to recycle batteries correctly could help prevent a serious fire.
Thank You
We would once again like to express our sincere thanks to South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue for their rapid response, professionalism and support throughout the incident.
We would also like to thank ITV Calendar for helping us raise awareness of this important issue and giving us the opportunity to share our story with viewers across Yorkshire.
Raising Awareness Together
We didn’t choose to share this incident because we lost a vehicle.
We chose to share it because every incorrectly disposed battery has the potential to cause another fire.
If our experience encourages even one person to recycle their batteries correctly, then something positive has come from an unfortunate situation.
Together, we can help protect waste collection crews, recycling workers, emergency services and our communities.
You can contact our team today on 0800 772 0948 or email info@kcmwaste.com.
Read Our Original Article
If you haven’t already, read our original article explaining how the incident happened, the dangers of lithium-ion batteries and practical advice on disposing of them safely. https://kcmwaste.com/battery-bin-lorry-fire/
Published Wednesday 29th July 2026.