Watch: E-bike battery explodes at recycling centre

A warning about disposing of batteries has been issued after an e-bike battery exploded at a recycling centre in Dorset.

Portland Skips & Landscaping Supplies released a video showing the battery bursting into flames as it was being processed.

The burning waste, held in a mechanical grabber, is quickly moved to one side.

The company said it was an "important reminder" that batteries should be kept out of skips, bins or mixed with any other waste.

Lithium batteries found in e-bikes, power tools, vapes, laptops and other rechargeable devices can be extremely hazardous if damaged or crushed during waste handling.

Posting the video on social media, Portland Skips and Landscaping Supplies said: "Thankfully, our exceptional team acted quickly to contain the incident in what could have been catastrophic for the safety of our staff and business."

It urged people to dispose of batteries correctly.

Earlier this year, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council said 11 fires linked to batteries had been recorded since January 2025.

In December 2024, a refuse lorry near Bridport had to dump its load after crushed batteries caused a fire, while a similar incident in Wimborne in December last year was also believed to have been started by a damaged battery.