Veolia and Southwark Council are urgently calling on residents to correctly dispose of batteries, vapes, and electrical items after a fire broke out in a collection vehicle on Lafone Street last week – the third such incident in Southwark in just seven days. Residents can help prevent these fires by safely disposing of dangerous items in the following ways:
Used vapes should be taken to Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre (RRC) or back to retailers, never placed in household recycling or rubbish bins or in on-street litter bins.
Electrical items – items with batteries, plugs, cables, or hidden batteries such as those found in children’s toys and electric toothbrushes – can be recycled at Southwark RRC. Dedicated on-street banks suitable for small electrical items can be found at recyclenow.com/recycling-locator
Batteries can be easily recycled at dedicated recycling points, often found at supermarkets. Alternatively, bring them to Southwark RRC or find a local recycling point at recyclenow.com/recycling-locator
Gas bottles and nitrous oxide (Nox) canisters need to be taken to Southwark RRC to be recycled safely.
The fire on Lafone Street broke out while the crew were on their regular collection round. With the flames rapidly spreading through the full load of recyclable material on board, the crew followed procedures and ejected the burning materials onto Lafone Street – the safest course of action available to prevent further escalation.
The incident caused temporary closures of parts of Lafone Street and Tooley Street while emergency services contained the blaze. Thankfully no injuries occurred but the intensity of the fire resulted in minor property damage to nearby windows, underscoring the serious risk these preventable fires pose to the public.
While the exact cause of the fire has not been confirmed, waste fires are often caused by lithium-ion or other batteries, electrical items and gas canisters incorrectly thrown away in household bins. When these items are compacted in the back of the collection vehicle or crushed at the facility they can spark, causing a fire to ignite or an explosion.
The Lafone Street incident is part of a concerning trend. In 2025, Veolia recorded an average of one preventable fire a day across its UK operations. Fires can break out while a collection vehicle is in close proximity to households and other buildings, putting both collection crews and the general public at undue risk of harm.
Matthew Crane, Regional Manager, Veolia said: “Unfortunately fires in waste collection vehicles are all-too common now and a serious risk. This was one of three fires we experienced in just one week alone in Southwark, putting our teams and the general public in danger. These fires are often caused by lithium-ion batteries, gas canisters and disposable vapes, which should never be placed in household or business bins.
“Some of these fires force our collection vehicles to empty burning waste onto the street – something that is disruptive, costly, and causes environmental harm in our communities. We urge residents to choose safe disposal options, to help protect our crews and members of the public.”
Cllr Eloise Walden-Day, Southwark Council’s Executive Member for Climate and Council Coordination, said: “Our ambition is for Southwark to be affordable, safe, and green. Keeping our residents, communities, and waste crews safe is a vital part of that.
“The recent fire on Lafone Street is a stark reminder of why batteries, vapes, electrical items and gas canisters should never be put in household bins. When these items are crushed during waste collection, they can catch fire, putting residents, waste crews, and nearby buildings at serious risk.
“Please take extra care when disposing of these items. Batteries can be recycled at collection points in many supermarkets, vapes can be returned to participating shops, and electrical items can be taken to the Southwark Reuse and Recycling Centre. We also provide on-street recycling banks for small electrical items; you can find out where they are located here: electrical recycling bank.
“By working together, we can all play our part in keeping Southwark safe.”
