GADGET users are being urged not to bin batteries and to take other steps to avoid the risk of setting off a blaze in their rubbish bin that could endanger their home and family.

The warning came from Somerset waste Partnership yesterday (Thursday) following two as-yet unexplained accidental fires in the county, one in a rubbish bin and the other in refuse added to a landfill site.

“All batteries need care as they hold the potential to short and create sparks, while their poisonous chemical cocktail means they should always be recycled rather than sent to landfill,” said a spokesman.

“But there are particular concerns about the many lithium-ion batteries used in mobile phones, cameras and other portable devices with high power demands.

“The power levels and light construction of li-ion batteries brings the risk of a fire or explosion if they get bent, broken or pierced when discarded into rubbish bins or black sacks. 

“There is a high potential for a blaze that takes days to put out if batteries are crushed in a rubbish truck and buried in a landfill site, where decaying organic matter can cause rising temperatures.”

Many outlets, from most supermarkets to DIY and electrical stores, take batteries for recycling, and while not yet collected at the kerbside, batteries are taken at all Somerset recycling sites.

Other fire hazards which should not be added to rubbish including hot ash from fires or barbecues or not fully extinguished ashtray contents, broken glass, which can act as a magnifying lens in landfill if not carefully wrapped, and aerosols.