In one incident, which took place on West Princes Street in the west end, a driver was forced to dump a load of rubbish in the middle of the road.
13:42, 23 Sep 2025Updated 14:20, 23 Sep 2025
Exploding “vape batteries” have caused fires in the back of three bin lorries across Glasgow in the last two weeks.
In one incident, which took place on West Princes Street in the west end of the city on September 14, a driver was forced to dump a load of rubbish in the middle of the road.
A second blaze then broke out in the back of one of the new waste collection vehicles near Hillhead Secondary School on September 15. The driver was forced to race out to get a fire extinguisher from the school janitor while they waited for the fire service.
Meanwhile, a third incident was reported on Chamberlain Road on September 7 – and Chris Mitchell, convener at the GMB union, said vape and lithium batteries are likely the cause.
Speaking to the Record, Chris said: “There is a potential catastrophe for anything to happen if this isn’t dealt with. One incident happened near a school and the other two we managed to dump on the street.
Exploding ‘vape batteries’ have sparked fires in three bin lorries in the last two weeks(Image: Chris Mitchell )
“We are working on tight streets with cars all around us. If a bin lorry goes up and catches fire, it’s a recipe for severe disaster.”
All three fires happened in the back of new vehicles which were introduced four months ago to replace the 16-year-old fleet.
Chris continued: “It’s vapes and batteries that are the issue, anything with lithium in them. People aren’t disposing of them properly.
“We have just managed to secure the funding for the 22 new lorries at £200,000 each and the compartment at the back, because it is new, it crushes everything. We believe that it is crushing these batteries and they are igniting. When you see three fires in the space of two weeks there is a serious problem here.”
The new bin lorry vehicles were introduced four months ago to replace the 16-year-old fleet(Image: Chris Mitchell )
Chris said that he believes it is only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt.
He is calling on authorities to launch a campaign to raise awareness on how to dispose of batteries and he is set to write a letter to both the Scottish Government and the UK Government outlining his concerns.
“They need to look at how we dispose of things”, said Chris. “We’ve had lorries off the road for days because of fires and this has an impact on how we cover refuge collections across the city, which is already under pressure.
“Because there’s been three fires in two weeks, everyone is very sceptical now. We have major concerns.
“Someone is going to get hurt if nothing is done about this. The safety of the workers is the most important thing.”
Glasgow City Council bosses have said batteries should never be disposed of in a household bin.
Fire crews were called to extinguish the blaze on West Princes Street(Image: Chris Mitchell )
A council spokesperson said: “Batteries and other hazardous items going into household waste is a matter of great concern, both in Glasgow and throughout the waste industry in the UK as a whole.
“In recent years, there have been many fires and other incidents at waste facilities across the country following the incorrect disposal of hazardous items, such as batteries, vapes, pressurised cannisters and other electrical equipment.
“Residents should always recycle their hazardous waste at their local recycling centre. Household batteries can also be recycled in a wide range of places, such as supermarkets, retail outlets and other public buildings. Batteries should never be disposed of in a household bin.
“Putting batteries into household waste puts refuse collectors at risk but can also disrupt the wider waste management system. In the recent Glasgow incidents, staff followed the correct safety procedures and this helped to minimise the impact of the incidents. We will continue to monitor this issue very closely to keep our staff and facilities as safe as possible.”