Authorities raise red flags after noticing hazardous trend in garbage: 'People could lose their lives'

Union leaders in Scotland are sounding the alarm over the growing risk of lithium batteries catching fire in the back of garbage trucks.

What's happening?

As The Scotsman reported, the widespread dumping of disposable vapes is putting the lives of garbage collectors at risk. This is due to lithium battery packs used in the majority of vaping products.  

According to the GMB Union, one of the largest general trade unions in the U.K., three fires had erupted in the back of brand-new garbage trucks around Glasgow, Scotland, in September.

Following investigations into the small cluster of blazes, officials pointed to the lithium batteries inside vapes as the culprit. 

Chris Mitchell, a senior official with the GMB, said the design of a new fleet of garbage trucks could be exacerbating the danger of lithium battery fires. 

"The new vehicles are absolutely crushing everything, and in doing that, we think it's igniting them," Mitchell said. "But we're exploring every option and avenue."

Why are lithium battery fires concerning?

Mitchell noted that while the fires were each contained before spreading, they could have spiraled out of control. 

"Three in two weeks is very concerning," Mitchell said. "The last fire was actually in the grounds of a school, which could have been disastrous. The guys acted very quickly, ejecting the load onto the street and calling the fire brigade."

Crushing a vape can cause lithium batteries to ignite due to physical damage, which can lead to fires or explosions. 

The damage affects the battery's internal components, potentially causing a short circuit and a fiery reaction known as thermal runaway, where the battery overheats, ignites, and can release toxic gases.

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This potential fire hazard has become a sobering reality for garbage collection workers in Glasgow. Mitchell explained that the city's design could factor into a future disaster. 

"In Glasgow, we work in a lot of tight streets where there are cars and members of the public," added Mitchell. "God forbid there isn't a major fire. People could lose their lives here." 

There are further problems associated with disposable vapes. They typically rely on single-use plastic, which is damaging to the environment from creation to disposal.

Single-use plastics used in vapes won't break down naturally, but they will break apart into smaller and smaller pieces, becoming microplastics that can pollute waterways, the soil, and eventually enter the human body, leading to a number of potential health issues. 

Meanwhile, if they aren't discarded properly, vapes can enter water sources or green spaces, where they can harm animal habitats and creatures. The fire hazards associated with batteries could also lead to wildfires. 

What's being done about the dumping of discarded vapes?

For now, Mitchell has pleaded with the Glasgow City Council to enact a city-wide awareness campaign regarding the hidden dangers of vapes that have been improperly disposed of. 

One idea, he proposed, was the creation of separate collection bins designed just to hold vape products and other lithium batteries.  

"I think it should be an ongoing campaign," said Mitchell. "It can't just be a one-off post telling people to stop putting vapes in bins, which might be fine for a couple of days before people just go back to what they were doing. They've got to make the consequences and the dangers clear. The consequences could be horrendous."   

Outside of the fire risks involving lithium batteries, vaping can lead to a number of negative impacts for underage users. Not only can it raise the risk of nicotine addiction and cause severe respiratory issues, but it can also negatively affect brain development. 

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