A fire in one of our refuse compactors at Mariri Resource Recovery Centre near Motueka just before Christmas has raised further concerns about the way some people are discarding their refuse – particularly batteries and dangerous goods.
The fire is thought to have been caused by lithium-ion batteries igniting in the refuse compactor container.
However, and more concerning, was when the burning contents were pulled out to be extinguished by firefighters; several potentially explosive pressurised drums were discovered.
It’s understood that these discarded drums once contained industrial adhesives and still had chemical residue in them, which was potentially highly flammable. If they had exploded, they could have caused serious injury.
Commercial premises are responsible for the correct disposal of hazardous waste that they produce, and there are several companies locally that specialise in the disposal of commercial hazardous waste.
Meanwhile, the rollout of our new battery collection system is finished, with specially designed bins ready to receive discarded batteries.
Look out for the new bins where you can dispose of all used batteries up to the size of a laptop battery, including household batteries like rechargeables, cellphone batteries, small portable power banks, and even single-use batteries like those used in hearing aids, cameras, toys, clocks, and radios.
The new bins are now on site at all our Resource Recovery Centres, in Richmond, Mariri, Tākaka, Murchison and Collingwood.
Similarly, there are battery recycling stations in Tapawera (near the Four Square) and Wakefield (next to the public toilets in the town centre), where you can drop your small undamaged batteries.