City of Parramatta is urging residents to double check what they’re putting in their rubbish, after three garbage trucks caught fire in the past month.
Batteries and an unemptied aerosol cans have been named as the cause for the waste in three garbage trucks igniting recently.
In all incidents, the truck drivers were forced to dump the rubbish on the street after noticing smoke coming from the vehicles’ waste compactor contents. Authorities and emergency services were contacted immediately for assistance to stop the fires from spreading.
City of Parramatta said garbage truck fires place the lives of the crews in danger and present a threat to surrounding properties.
The local Council is now hoping the recent fires will serve as a reminder to locals to never dispose of batteries or hazardous waste into household bins, or to put the items out for kerbside clean up.
“Many types of hazardous waste can cause fires and contamination, and the City of Parramatta Council works hard to ensure residents understand their options when disposing of things like batteries, electronic waste and chemicals,” a City of Parramatta spokesperson said.
The Council reported that items such as such as laptops, mobile phones and other electronics that contain lithium batteries should never be placed in household bins or out for kerbside clean-ups, with aerosol cans to be placed in recycle bins only when they are completely empty.
To reduce the risks posed to rubbish collectors and the community, City of Parramatta is encouraging residents to use battery drop-off bins, which are located at libraries and some participating retailers.
“The council also operates two electronic-waste drop-off days a year for residential qualities of e-waste, and partners with the NSW EPA to host an annual Chemical Clean Out for hazardous waste,” a City of Parramatta spokesperson said.
“In addition, residents can request a pick-up from the mobile problem waste collection service for electronic or hazardous waste.
“The council is also currently considering sites for a Community Recycling Centre, to make it easier for residents to dispose of problematic waste at any time of year.”
Lithium batteries have also been found to be the cause of a series of house fires across the state, with the most recent one occurring in Balgowlah, which saw a family of four forced to flee their home after a battery exploded.
“Lithium-Ion batteries are particularly difficult to extinguish as they often re-ignite, causing further risk,” Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Fire Investigation and Research Unit Inspector Chris Hughes said.
At the end of last year, FRNSW observed a significant rise in fires related to Lithium-ion batteries in 2022, most often in small, portable devices like e-bikes and e-scooters.
FRNSW reported that from January 1, 2022 to November 21, 2022, crews responded to 180 Lithium-ion battery fires – compared with just over 16 in 2021.
To learn more about waste and recycling in Parramatta visit: http://www.cityofparramatta.nsw.gov.au/waste.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.