Batteries, vapes and electricals caused 199 fires at the waste plant north of Horsham in a year. Where each should go instead, from the bin-lid bag to the tip.

Batteries, vapes and small electrical items caused 199 fires at the county’s main waste plant, north of Horsham, in a single year. The figure covers June 2024 to May 2025. West Sussex County Council published it on 22 September as it launched a campaign called “Stop the Spark” (WSCC, 22 September 2026).

The campaign’s message is short: if it has a plug, battery or cable, don’t bin it.

Where the fires happened

The 199 fires were at the Anaerobic Digestion and Resource Recovery Facility at Brookhurst Wood. The county council runs it with its waste contractor Biffa. It takes the county’s black bag household waste, which is why a battery thrown in a green-top bin in Horsham ends up there (WSCC: about the ADRRF). The site is off Langhurstwood Road, just north of Horsham and east of Warnham (Environment Agency permit notice, RH12 4QD).

That is roughly four fires a week. The figure is more than a year old, and the council has not published a more recent one for the Horsham plant.

For 2026 so far, the council gives a separate count: 40 fires linked to batteries and electrical items across three other places:

  • the county’s Materials Recycling Facility at Ford
  • waste collection vehicles
  • Recycling Centres

Why a battery starts a fire

Batteries hidden in everyday items get crushed, damaged or punctured in the bin lorry or at the plant. They can then overheat and ignite, the council says. Darren Wickings, a station manager with West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, said lithium-ion batteries “can ignite quickly and without warning” once punctured or crushed. He said the fires were “largely preventable”.

Biffa’s contract director for West Sussex, Susie Chasmar, said battery fires were “significantly increasing” across the waste industry.

Where each item should go in Horsham district

Horsham District Council collects most of these for free. Here is what its own pages say:

What you have Where it goes
AA, AAA, C, D, 6v, 9v and button batteries, mobile phone batteries In a small, clear, sealed bag (a sandwich bag) on top of your green-top or blue-top bin on collection day
Laptop batteries The same bag, with the terminals taped
Replaceable batteries inside a gadget Take them out and bag them separately for the bin collection
Broken or obsolete small electricals, and disposable vapes Book a free doorstep collection from the council
Vapes, if you prefer to drop them off The Pavilions in the Park, Horsham, or Chanctonbury Leisure Centre, Storrington
Working small electricals and textiles Book a free Anglo Doorstep Collections pick-up for reuse
Car batteries, 12v leisure batteries, ride-on toy batteries, corroded batteries A Recycling Centre: Hop Oast, Worthing Road, Horsham, or Newbridge Road, Billingshurst

Sources: HDC batteries recycling, collections for small electricals, vape recycling and Recycling Centres.

Two practical points from the council’s battery page. Wait until you have enough batteries to fill the bag, because one or two on their own can blow away. And keep the bag closed.

The Recycling Centres are run by the county council, not the district. You need proof that you live in West Sussex to get in.

What it means for you

If you have a drawer of dead batteries or an old vape, none of it should go in either bin loose. The bag-on-the-lid collection costs nothing and happens on your normal bin day. Anything with a plug that no longer works can be collected from your doorstep for free, so you do not need a trip to the tip.

Sources