Auckland Council down in the dumps: Households urged to throw e-waste away properly as garbage truck fires spike

A spike in garbage truck fires has Auckland Council down in the dumps. Households are being warned it's all due to chucking things like batteries in the wrong bins.

A small spark - then a lot of smoke is what happens when a copper wire and an air fryer's battery combine in a dump truck.

Auckland Council's general manager of waste solutions Parul Sood warns it's the last place you want a blaze.

"It's got plastics, it's got paper in it, it's got hazardous waste. So definitely not good."

And they're happening more often.

In 2020 there were nine fires and by 2021 there were 18 in Auckland alone.

And there are fears the hot summer forecast ahead could see even more. 

"Even one is too many - because it puts the driver at risk and it puts everyone around them at risk as well," said Sood. 

The big no-nos are phone batteries, power tools - even computer batteries or portable chargers. And if you've got rechargeable batteries and you're chucking them in the bin, you could have a literal dumpster fire on your hands. 

"We've definitely seen a spike. 2021 was quite interesting, the numbers absolutely doubled for some reason. Maybe we were home playing with our devices and we had more batteries to chuck out," Sood told Newshub. 

Even a rogue phone battery can ignite a fire and once it starts, it's difficult to extinguish. 

"Unfortunately it means dumping the rubbish truck and all its contents and actually getting to the source," said Fire and Emergency community risk manager Glenn Menzies.

And Asthma New Zealand chief executive Katheren Leitner said it's a health hazard too. 

"If one of these trucks was to combust around a school - you know within our schoolyards one in eight children have asthma. So guaranteed one of those children would definitely be triggered by some of the pollutants coming off." 

Households are being urged to check their local council websites to find out how to get rid of e-waste safely so we can all have a risk-free summer.