A fire broke out in our waste yard.
All of this happened in the dead of night. With most of the staff safe back home, and the rest of the staff collecting waste sacks at Central London; an unknown passer-by spotted smoke in the yard and immediately contacted the fire brigade. The fire brigade arrived promptly, and the estate’s guard used the contact details mentioned on the yard’s gate to contact the operation’s director, John Kinful. John acted quickly and contacted the certified excavator driver in the team along with the owner of the company.
As John unlocked the yard for fire brigade, the driver and owner arrived on site. The firefighters quickly put out the fire with the help of our driver, who used the excavator to separate the waste so that the water can go all the way through. This ensured that any material that could potentially light up again was fully doused, preventing the possibility of a future fire. It took two fire engines, one excavator, eight firefighters and three members of our staff to put the fire out in 45 mins. Fortunately, none of the neighbouring businesses were affected.
“Due to our excellent health and safety measures in place, no ignitable material like cardboard or recyclable waste is left on site overnight, thus controlling the spread. We also ensure our site is regularly audited.”, John Kinful stated. Strict measures are in place to ensure the yard is locked every evening with emergency contact details clearly displayed. “None of our personnel, vehicles or property were damaged either,” he added. “We just have the black charring on the walls as a reminder of what occurred.”
A vape is believed to be the cause of this fire. Upon separating the waste for the firefighters, two vapes were discovered, hidden among all the rubbish. Despite multiple government measures in place to prevent vapes in bins, with complete bans on single use vapes, warnings against throwing vapes in general waste bins and compulsory retailer take back schemes; the waste collectors still face the risk of getting seriously injured because of one vape thrown in the bin. General waste goes into compactors that put continuous pressure on the vape, causing it to slowly heat till it catches on fire. This is what is suspected to have happened here too.
This incident could have caused far greater damage. Just because no one was injured this time, it does not mean it will not happen again. In a densely populated industrial estate like ours, a fire of this scale spreading to neighbouring business units could have resulted in multiple business closures and significant environmental contamination from smoke and runoff. We consider ourselves fortunate.
The team was able to respond quickly and control it. John states, “We want to be direct: if you smoke vapes, it is your responsibility to dispose of them correctly. Do not throw them in general waste bins. Take them to a retailer’s take-back scheme. If you work somewhere without a dedicated vape disposal point, request one from your employer. And if you spot a vape in a bin before collection, remove it. This is not our problem to solve alone. It’s a collective responsibility. One vape in the wrong place nearly cost us everything.”
We seriously urge waste generators, employers, and everyone involved in waste disposal to take this seriously. The convenience of throwing vapes in the bin could put someone’s life and livelihood at risk.
