Costly recycling mistakes: $30 vape sparks $2.5m headache
A discarded vape battery caused a $2.5 million fire at Blenheim's recycling centre, which reopened after 11 months.Summary
The Blenheim Waste Sorting Centre in Marlborough, New Zealand, reopened on Wednesday after an 11-month closure caused by a fire that resulted in $2.5 million in structural damage. The fire was sparked by a lithium-ion battery from a suspected disposable vape that had been carelessly placed in cardboard recycling and was run over by a forklift. During the closure, recycling was trucked to Christchurch at a cost of $160,000 per month, and a temporary facility took four months to establish. Council solid waste manager Mark Lucas highlighted the dangers of improper recycling, including sharp objects like needles and blades that pose health risks to workers. He urged the public to be more careful, emphasising that the sorting line is the team's workplace and that careless disposal, such as leaving a dead lamb on the conveyor, is unacceptable.
(Source：1news)
