New South Kesteven battery recycling scheme agreed after bin lorry fire

Fire crews were called to tackle a bin lorry blaze sparked by a discarded battery in Ingoldsby in March

A new battery recycling scheme has been backed by councillors in a bid to improve safety after a bin lorry fire.

In March, seven tonnes of burning rubbish had to be dumped from a bin lorry onto a road in Lincolnshire after it had set alight.

A disposable vape or small battery-powered item may have caused the fire, South Kesteven District Council said.

The new scheme will involve collecting small bags of batteries alongside regular waste.

Councillors voted unanimously to approve the scheme at a meeting on Tuesday.

Councillors agreed the new scheme would cost "very much less" than the cost of a new bin lorry potentially damaged by fire.

A meeting of the authority's environment overview and scrutiny committee was told the scheme would cost around £13,000, with £8,000 spent on retrofitting the council's vehicles and a further £5,000 for communications to local residents, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

In a statement, Councillor Ben Green said: "This is very much less than the cost of a new refuse vehicle potentially damaged by fire.

"Let's come together and make a low-cost progressive stride forward. Doing nothing is not an option."

The scheme was inspired by a similar initiative in Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire, which collects one tonne of batteries annually.

Officers confirmed that disposable vapes could be recycled, with the batteries inside separated after collection.