Fire protection New initiative warns of fire risks due to improper battery disposal

A campaign highlights the fire risk posed by improperly disposed lithium-ion batteries and provides information on safe disposal.

Lithium-ion batteries that are not disposed of correctly pose a significant fire risk. A current campaign aims to raise public awareness of this danger.

Swiss Recycling, the Swiss competence center for recycling and circular economy, emphasizes that such batteries are often found in unexpected products. Examples include talking cuddly toys, musical birthday cards and wireless headphones.

When these items end up in normal waste, it is not only valuable raw materials that are lost. In Switzerland, fires caused by incorrectly disposed batteries occur time and again - whether in households, waste disposal vehicles or waste and recycling facilities.

The awareness campaign is being carried out by Swiss Recycling together with the collection systems for batteries and electronic devices. Consumers can find information on the correct handling of rechargeable batteries on the brandgefaehrlich.ch website. A training film is also part of the campaign. In addition, municipalities and waste disposal companies will be provided with posters, flyers and stickers to spread the message.

SDA