Denuo: Urgent European Solutions Demanded for the Increasing Number of Battery Fires

The sharp increase in the number of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries now poses a daily threat to the safety of citizens, workers, and the infrastructure of the European waste management and recycling sector. To structurally address this growing and increasingly severe problem, Denuo and the BDE (the employers’ federations of the private waste management and recycling sector in Belgium and Germany, respectively) brought together policymakers, representatives of the European Commission, electronics manufacturers, waste management and recycling companies, and fire department representatives yesterday at the Battery Fire Conference held in the European Parliament.

Protecting the European Circular Economy

The Brussels conference, organized on the initiative of Pascal Arimont (MEP for the European People’s Party, EPP) and Grégory Allione (MEP for Renew Europe), was entirely centered around one core question: is Europe prepared to protect its circular economy by structurally and systematically addressing the rapidly growing number of battery fires?

An Increasing Challenge to Societal Safety

Today, lithium-ion batteries are found in an increasing and more diverse range of everyday products. These include smartphones, laptops, children’s toys, e-cigarettes (vapes), light-up shoes, and various small household appliances. When these products are incorrectly sorted and improperly disposed of, they end up in residual waste, paper and cardboard, scrap metal, or other waste streams where they do not belong at all.

This improper waste management can have far-reaching and severe consequences. If lithium-ion batteries are damaged or put under physical pressure (crushed) during collection, sorting, or the recycling process, they can ignite within a matter of seconds. This exact phenomenon is the reason why numerous severe fires have occurred in waste collection vehicles, sorting centers, and recycling facilities in recent weeks, months, and years.

These accidents and incidents not only put the workers in the facilities, the responding firefighters, and the local residents in direct danger, but they also cause significant economic damage and severely disrupt the smooth operation of the European circular economy.

Urgent Need for Coordinated Action

During the panel discussion, representatives from the European Commission, manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment, the waste management and recycling industry, and fire departments unanimously emphasized: the problem extends far beyond national borders and requires a coordinated European-level approach and action.

Denuo and the BDE are therefore advocating for a comprehensive package of measures that tackles the fires at their root. The concrete steps proposed by the two organizations include:

1. The introduction of a European-wide deposit-return and premium system for portable batteries, light means of transport (LMT) batteries, and small battery-containing electrical devices to ensure they are collected separately and safely.

2. The implementation of a strict ban on placing products containing lithium-ion batteries on the market unless it is functionally necessary (such as certain types of e-cigarettes or light-up gadgets).

3. The tightening of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system, under which manufacturers must also share the costs caused by battery fires, including material damage to waste and recycling facilities and rising insurance costs.

At the end of last year, several Member States already called on the European Commission to introduce a European deposit system for batteries. According to Denuo and BDE, the most important task right now is to finally turn this discussion into concrete legislative measures.

Quotes from Policymakers and Industry Leaders

• Pascal Arimont, MEP for the European People’s Party (EPP): “The discussions today made one thing very clear: the increasing fire risk resulting from improperly sorted and discarded lithium-ion batteries is a European challenge that requires a European approach. We need better collection systems, stricter extended producer responsibility, and clear incentives to prevent batteries from ending up in the wrong waste streams. The European Commission must now quickly make the transition from acknowledging the problem to submitting concrete legislative proposals. Every single day we delay this means that more batteries land in the wrong containers, and more preventable fires occur across Europe.”

• Grégory Allione, MEP for Renew Europe: “Before becoming a Member of the European Parliament, I put out fires as a firefighter for 30 years. Fires involving lithium-ion batteries pose a danger to our citizens, our firefighters, and our circular economy. Europe has the resources; it is time to deploy them.”

• Aarnout Ecker, General Manager of Denuo: “The transition to a circular and electrified society must not lead to new safety risks. Europe has the tools to address this problem. Now is the moment to actually put them to use.”

• Christian Suhl, Managing Director of BDE: “Battery fires do not stop at national borders, and the same should be true for the solutions. Waste management companies across Europe are facing the same risks. We need a harmonized European framework that prevents fires, supports the safe collection of batteries, and ensures a fair distribution of costs.”

References and Sources:

• Original press release and source article: Denuo Official Website

• Official industry reference for the event in the European Parliament: FEAD – European Waste Management Association, Battery Fire Conference