Warning issued over Christmas lights amid fire safety fears

The public is being urged to recycle broken or unwanted Christmas lights this year, as concerns grow about lithium-ion batteries causing an increase in fires in waste systems.

As the purchase and use of illuminated electrical items soars over the festive period, firefighters, waste management workers and recycling campaigners are urging households to consider how they consume and dispose of these items.

Firefighters, waste management personnel and communities are put at risk from lithium-ion batteries, which when thrown into daily trash cans can get crushed in garbage trucks or landfills, causing dangerous fires.

Material Focus, which runs the Recycle Your Electrical campaign, says millions of Christmas lights and so-called “fast tech” cheap electrical items are bought each year over Christmas and New Year.

Christmas lights and fast tech should be recycled after use if they can’t be repaired, donated or sold, the group said, pointing to its online tool that shows the location of the tech recycling point closest to households.

Industry experts said batteries should be removed from the item before being placed in the recycling bin, if possible, to reduce the risk of waste management workers missing batteries and disposing of the item into the wrong waste stream.

London Fire Brigade station officer Shawn Howlette said he attended a number of suspected lithium-ion battery fires, including a complex operation to extinguish a garbage truck fire on John Adam Street in central London earlier this year.

Mr Howlette said these incidents could be “entirely preventable” and urged the public to understand the risks of disposing of batteries and electrical devices in everyday rubbish.

“Battery fires are becoming increasingly common,” he said.

“These are lithium-ion batteries that are often volatile, can suddenly reignite and produce an extremely toxic smoke that should never be inhaled.

“For us in the fire department, these events can consume a tremendous amount of resources at times, which can impact our ability to respond to other emergencies,” he said.

“My Christmas wish is for people to be aware that they should always recycle and never throw away their batteries.”

Danni Kelly, contract assistant manager at a Suez landfill in Doncaster, said lithium batteries were a “constant concern” for those working in the industry.

His colleague Ricky Taylor, who works as a garbage truck loader, said he has experienced three battery fires this year alone.

“A fire in the back of a collection vehicle is one of the things we fear the most,” he said.

“A battery can go from zero to a full blown fire in seconds, putting not only me but the entire crew at risk.

“It’s really important for people to realize how common these fires have become.

“If we don’t get the message out, more people will be at risk of serious injury.”

In a survey sent to local authorities, Material Focus asked whether these areas were experiencing fires caused by crushed or damaged batteries in the waste stream.

Of the 77 fires responded to, an average of more than three fires occurred per region from 2023 to 2024, with many of them occurring in dumpsters and waste centers.

This means there could be around 1,200 fires caused by batteries in the waste system across all local authority areas in the UK.

Of the 53 counties that responded to the detailed survey, 50 (94%) said fires were increasing.

Scott Butler, managing director of Material Focus, said: “We know that Fast Tech Christmas lights and gifts, and the traditions around them, help make Christmas the most enjoyable time of the year for many people.

“But as we approach the new year, innovations become obsolete or the festive lights go out again, why not start 2026 by making your own positive impact?

“Always recycle them if they can’t be repaired, donated or sold.”