Artists are being invited to pitch ideas for a public installation aimed at reducing battery fires in east London.<\/p>\n
The East London Waste Authority (ELWA) wants the artwork to encourage Londoners to recycle small electricals and batteries at dedicated recycling points, rather than putting them in household bins.<\/p>\n
Lithium-ion batteries inside small electrical devices, such as vapes, wireless earphones, e-scooters and children’s toys can ignite when crushed in waste collection vehicles and facilities.<\/p>\n
The London Fire Brigade (LFB) has said it “suspects” these lithium-ion batteries are responsible for a “growing number” of fires inside bin lorries and at waste disposal sites<\/a>.<\/p>\n The ELWA said it wanted to commission a designer to create an “eye-catching installation”, which will tour the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge in 2026 to highlight the issue.<\/p>\n Miraj Patel, chair of ELWA, said: “Battery fires in bin lorries and waste sites remain a challenge across all local authorities. <\/p>\n “There were 229 fires in ELWA’s waste facilities last year, a 57% increase over the previous year. <\/p>\n “These fires cost the waste industry millions of pounds each year, but also pose a significant risk to frontline staff collecting and treating waste.”<\/p>\n