A recycling truck caught fire in Bittern on 12 February — the second incident on the Mornington Peninsula this month.
The fire, which was caused by lithium batteries incorrectly disposed of in a kerbside bin, broke out at 10:15am on Skinner Street.
With no time to safely take the burning truck to a nearby open space, CFA advised the driver to empty the contents of the truck in the residential street. Emergency services attended the scene and extinguished the blaze.
Acting Mayor Councillor Paul Pingiaro said the recurring incidents were deeply concerning for the safety of waste collection workers: "This follows an earlier incident on 5 February when a recycling truck caught fire in Mount Martha.
"Our drivers should never have to go to work wondering whether they will face a life-threatening situation. They deserve a safe workplace — just like everyone else. These incidents put real people and neighbourhoods in real danger, and that is completely unacceptable.
"We are asking every resident on the Peninsula to dispose of hazardous waste correctly. It is a simple action that can save lives."
Warringine Councillor Michael Stephens said the Bittern community had been fortunate on this occasion, but urged residents not to take that for granted: "Skinner Street is a family neighbourhood — people walking their dogs, kids heading to school, residents going about their day. We are incredibly lucky no one was hurt this time.
"Please, everyone keep batteries, vapes, gas bottles and e-waste out of household bins. Keep our community safe."
Only the following items should be placed in the recycling bin:
Empty containers from your kitchen and laundry (rinse if needed)
Paper and cardboard
Keep everything loose – not in bags!
Items such as batteries (including embedded lithium batteries) vapes, gas bottles, and other hazardous materials must never be placed in household bins. These items can be disposed of safely and for free at our resource recovery centres (tips).
We'll reach out to the household whose bin contained the lithium batteries to educate them on the safe disposal of hazardous waste.
