On the morning of Thursday 11 September, one of our recycling trucks caught fire in Hughesdale.
The cause was a rechargeable drill battery wrongly placed in a household recycling bin.
Acting quickly to keep the community safe, the truck driver had to make the call to dump the truck's contents onto a residential street, with emergency services arriving quickly to put out the fire safely. Our waste team also worked throughout the morning to clear the debris.
Any batteries in bins can cause fires in our waste trucks, putting our drivers and waste teams at significant risk and forcing waste and recycling to be dumped in public spaces.
Batteries must be taken to a designated disposal point, like a supermarket or Council facility.
Electronic items
Further investigation of the truck's contents by our contractors revealed multiple household electronic items – anything with a plug or cord. Like batteries, electronic items are not permitted in household bins.
Monash residents can take electronic items to the Monash Recycling and Waste Centre (380 Ferntree Gully Rd, Notting Hill) for free disposal. Fees and charges apply for non-residents.
Please help protect our collection and sorting teams by following all safety guidelines when disposing of batteries and electronic items.
