A single battery in a paper and cardboard bank started the fire at Richmond's Twickenham depot on 14 August. Where to take batteries in the borough instead.

The fire at Richmond Council’s Central Depot in Twickenham on Friday 14 August was started by a single battery that someone had put in a paper and cardboard recycling bank. The council confirmed the cause on 19 August, five days after the fire.

Depot staff spotted smoke coming from the recycling material and called the London Fire Brigade, who brought the blaze under control. Nobody was hurt. On the day itself the council said only that the fire was in the recycling area and that residents might see smoke or soot nearby, with the cause still under investigation.

Councillor Elizabeth Gant, Vice Chair of the council’s Environment, Sustainability, Culture and Sports Committee, said depot staff “acted quickly to raise the alarm, preventing what could have been a much more serious incident”.

This keeps happening across London

Richmond’s depot fire is not an isolated case, and the two nearest comparisons are recent and large.

  • 18 July 2026, Wimbledon Park. Around 80 tonnes of household waste caught fire at a site on Weir Road in Merton. Four fire engines and about 25 firefighters attended. The London Fire Brigade recorded the most probable cause as a lithium-ion battery.
  • 18 August 2026, Deptford. Around 50 tonnes of household waste burned at a waste facility on Landman Way. That one took 15 fire engines and around 100 firefighters, the brigade took more than 160 calls about it, and nearby rail lines were closed as a precaution. The cause had not been established when the brigade published its account.

The brigade’s advice after the Wimbledon Park fire was blunt: “Lithium-ion batteries and electricals with hidden lithium-ion batteries should not be placed in the same bins as your regular rubbish or recycling.”

The wider trend is going one way. The brigade attended 206 e-bike and e-scooter fires in London in 2025, an average of 17 a month and the highest figure it has recorded. That was 171 e-bike fires and 35 e-scooter fires, against 171 in total in 2024 and 31 in 2020.

Where batteries actually go in Richmond

This is the part the council’s warning does not spell out, and it matters, because the six libraries that take batteries only take some kinds.

Panel showing where to take batteries in Richmond upon Thames: six libraries take watch, AAA, AA, C, 9V, D and 6V batteries; Townmead Road recycling centre takes all batteries and electricals; larger retailers must take back used batteries free
Where each kind of battery can be taken in Richmond upon Thames, from the council's Recycling A to Z.

Small household batteries can be dropped at six council libraries: East Sheen, Ham, Hampton, Richmond, Teddington and Twickenham. The council lists the accepted types precisely, and the list is short: watch batteries, AAA, AA, C, 9V, D and 6V. Anything else is not covered.

Everything else goes to the Townmead Road Reuse and Recycling Centre in Kew, which takes batteries and electricals of every size.

Disposable vapes are the awkward case, because most people do not think of them as batteries at all. The council says to return them to the retailer, or take them to Townmead Road with other waste electricals.

Broken small electricals can go to any library except Kew and Hampton Wick, or be left out with your household collection. Larger electrical retailers are also legally required to take back used batteries free of charge, whether or not you bought them there.

The council’s Recycling A to Z carries the full list and was itself updated on 19 August.

What it means for you

The paper and cardboard bank is the worst place of all. Dry paper and cardboard is exactly what a sparking battery needs, which is how a single cell ended up starting a fire big enough to bring the fire brigade to a council depot.

Check the things that do not look like batteries. Vapes, power banks, torches, electric toothbrushes, greetings cards that play a tune, tea lights, children’s toys and anything with a rechargeable pack. Most household lithium-ion cells arrive in something else.

Do not put a swollen or damaged battery in any bin. If a battery has bulged, overheated or been punctured, it is the highest risk kind. Take it to Townmead Road rather than to a library bank.

Report a problem you have caused. If you realise a battery has gone into a collection, telling the council is better than hoping. The depot fire was caught because a member of staff saw smoke, which is not a system anyone should rely on.

The Townmead Road Reuse and Recycling Centre is in Kew. Two Kew roads are due to be dug up in the next few weeks, so check our Richmond roadworks and travel page before you drive over. West Park Road is due to close on 25 August. Sandycombe Road is being resurfaced from 9 September.

Frequently asked questions

What caused the Twickenham depot fire?

A battery that had been put in a paper and cardboard recycling bank. The council confirmed it on 19 August, five days after the fire on 14 August 2026. Nobody was hurt.

Where can I recycle batteries in Richmond upon Thames?

At six council libraries: East Sheen, Ham, Hampton, Richmond, Teddington and Twickenham. They accept watch batteries, AAA, AA, C, 9V, D and 6V only. Anything larger or different goes to the Townmead Road Reuse and Recycling Centre in Kew, or back to a larger retailer, which must take used batteries free of charge.

What do I do with a disposable vape?

Return it to the retailer, or take it to Townmead Road with other waste electricals. A vape contains a lithium-ion battery and must never go in a bin or a recycling bank.

Can I put batteries in my kerbside recycling box?

No. The council’s advice is that batteries should never go in household recycling or rubbish bins, or in community recycling banks. A damaged battery can spark during collection and processing.

Sources

The London Fire Brigade has not published a separate incident report for the Twickenham depot fire. The account of what happened there comes from the council’s own two statements.