
Movie goals to lift consciousness of fires brought on by batteries within the waste stream
An obvious development in stories of fires brought on by batteries and electricals containing batteries within the waste and recycling system, has prompted Materials Focus – a not-for-profit centered on electricals recycling – to launch a public security movie addressing the difficulty.
“Cease Battery Fires” has been created in partnership with the UK’s National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC), and is now obtainable for native authorities to share. Materials Focus can also be calling on native authorities to take part within the 2023 “Cease Battery Fires Survey” that may assess the size and impression of battery fires throughout the UK.
The movie emphasises the hazards of throwing away batteries, and the significance of by no means binning and at all times recycling batteries and electricals containing batteries. Materials Focus says it made the movie for native authorities to share and assist their residents perceive correctly get rid of their batteries and electricals, with the goal to scale back battery fires in bin lorries and at waste and recycling centres. A replica of the movie may be downloaded in Materials Focus’s battery fire comms toolkit which additionally consists of social media templates and different belongings.
Final yr a Materials Focus survey amongst native authorities recognized that there have been over 700 battery fires within the waste and recycling system throughout the UK. Materials Focus is looking on native authorities to once more take part within the 2023 survey to replace the image of what’s occurring now. To take part within the survey please click on on the survey link. Final yr over 60 Native Authorities answered the survey and their solutions shaped a key element of Materials Focus’s work on its “Cease Battery Fires” marketing campaign. The outcomes have been utilized in over 400 items of media protection together with the BBC nationwide and native radio stations, serving to to lift consciousness of the difficulty and what actions may very well be taken.
Mark Andrews, NFCC waste fires lead stated: “Hearth and rescue companies see first hand the impression of fires brought on by the wrong disposal of batteries and electrical objects. The ‘Cease Battery Fires’ marketing campaign and movie will assist help native authorities in elevating consciousness of this concern.
“We want house owners to play their half in decreasing these fires which may have a devastating impression on native communities and their surroundings. And so they can pose an actual threat to employees working within the waste and recycling centres.”
Scott Butler, Government Director of Materials Focus stated: ”Native authorities play a pivotal function in making certain the security and well-being of their communities. Materials Focus urges all native authorities to share the movie to lift consciousness of the hazards of battery fires, and supply their residents with clear data on the significance of by no means binning and at all times recycling batteries and electricals containing batteries. Folks ought to search Recycle Your Electricals and pop of their postcode to seek out their nearest recycling factors.
“Native authorities participation within the battery fireplace survey is invaluable in order that we will all enhance our understanding of the size and impression of battery fires throughout the UK. By finishing the survey, native authorities will contribute to elevating consciousness of the important thing actions that house owners can take to make sure that they safely recycle batteries and hidden batteries and shield their communities from the devastating impression battery fires can have.”
Assist elevate consciousness and alter public behaviour
The “Cease Batteries Fires Survey” will take 5 minutes to finish. With over 700 reported fires throughout the UK final yr alone, having development knowledge is vital to getting the general public to concentrate and alter their behaviour. The survey outcomes might be anonymised in order that the solutions gained’t be attributed again to any particular native authority. Materials Focus can also be on the lookout for case research of native authorities expertise of battery fires as these may be extremely highly effective, in case you are please get in contact by emailing [email protected]