22 September 2017
The Department for Infrastructure (DfI) is asking customers of the household reuse and recycling centre (HRRC) at La Collette to ensure that they remove any batteries from their small electrical appliances (toys, alarm clocks, telephones, hand tools, etc).
If the battery cannot be removed, please advise a member of staff on arrival to the site.
Yesterday there was a fire within the storage area of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) items at the HRRC. Although the cause of the fire has not yet been established, it is strongly suspected that a lithium-ion battery (found in items such as hover-boards) caused it.
The fire was spotted by DfI staff at about 4pm yesterday. The fire service were called immediately, and they attended the fire, assisted by DfI staff, until midnight.
The HRRC is closed today for clearing and cleaning, but will reopen to the public tomorrow, Saturday 23 September 2017, at 7.30am .
Although joint collection of this type of WEEE is common practice, DfI has instigated the new procedure of separately collecting battery operated WEEE from mains power operated WEEE to better manage and minimise the risk of fire in the future.
Signed, separate collection areas at the HRRC will be available from Saturday when the centre reopens.
Minister for Infrastructure, Deputy Eddie Noel, said “I’d like to thank the fire service for attending the fire. I’d also like to thank the staff at the centre for the way they dealt with the situation, and the public for their understanding and cooperation during our closure.”
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