Battery fires cost EU recyclers a fortune, with new data showing a sharp rise in incidents that threaten the safety of waste management workers and the financial stability of the industry. According to the European Waste Management Association, battery-related fires broke out roughly 30 times per day across the European Union in 2025. That figure represents a 27 percent increase from 2023, a period during which the association estimates the incidents caused EUR 2.7 billion in damage. The association further estimates that batteries were responsible for six out of every ten fires in the sector that year, though the actual number is likely higher because many fires go unreported.
Hidden dangers in the waste stream
The scale of the problem extends beyond these high-profile incidents. FEAD reports that approximately 1,100 of the estimated 10,900 battery fires in 2025 were publicly reported, while the remainder were likely extinguished by facility staff. This discrepancy suggests that the risk is pervasive and often handled internally by the very workers tasked with managing waste. The source notes that the financial burden is becoming unsustainable for waste operators, who have invested a total of EUR 2 billion in fire prevention and facility upgrades since 2023. However, insurance coverage is becoming increasingly difficult and expensive to secure, forcing companies to bear a significant portion of the costs.
National statistics reveal a similar trend across member states. Germany recorded 2,000 fires and 3,000 dangerous hotspot incidents at 181 facilities in 2025, with 90 percent linked to lithium batteries. Austria saw a nearly 15-fold increase in reported fires between 2008 and 2025, while the Netherlands recorded a more than fourfold rise in waste management fires between 2016 and 2024.
The root cause of this surge is the increasing presence of lithium batteries in residual waste. The association notes that the number of incorrectly discarded lithium batteries found in Austrian residual waste has quadrupled over the last decade to more than eight per tonne. These batteries are entering waste streams through everyday items like disposable vapes, toys, smartwatches, and wireless earphones.
Moving beyond the collection point
FEAD secretary general Paolo Campanella stated that waste operators are investing heavily in prevention but cannot carry this cost alone. The association is urging European policymakers to address the issue at the source rather than relying solely on reactive measures. Its proposals include establishing a Battery Fire Prevention and Recovery Fund, financed through extended producer responsibility schemes, and creating a deposit return system for fire-risk batteries. The association also advocates for a ban on single-use products that contain batteries, such as disposable vapes, which it identifies as an unnecessary source of risk.