London is facing a growing challenge: waste battery fires at municipal and private waste facilities. Eight organisations, including the North London Waste Authority (NLWA), East London Waste Authority (ELWA), West London Waste Authority (WLWA), Western Riverside Waste Authority (WRWA), London Energy, Veolia, Biffa and FCC Environment, have written to Minister for Nature Mary Creagh calling for urgent policy action. They describe a real and significant risk to people, property and the environment as incidents rise across the capital. National figures from the National Fire Chiefs Council and Recycle Your Electricals show a 71 per cent increase in waste battery fires in 2023 compared with the year before. For facility owners, asset managers and ESG leads this is more than a safety issue; it is a data and cost problem that affects operations, liability and reputations. This post explains what is happening, why it matters for commercial real estate, and what can be done using smarter data and safer practices.
The Problem: Waste Battery Fires in London
The current picture is sobering. Battery fires at waste sites are not isolated incidents but a rising trend that spans lorries, recycling centres and treatment plants. The eight organisations responsible for waste in and around London have highlighted a dramatic year-on-year rise in fires, with NLWA sites reporting a 53 per cent jump from 2023 to 2024 and ELWA reporting an even sharper 57 per cent rise. Across the capital there have been repeated episodes, and WRWA has already logged ten fires in 2025 after eight in the previous year. The figures mirror national trends that show thousands of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries and other small electricals.
Why now? The combination of more devices containing lithium-ion cells, cheaper electronics entering the market and unfinished product stewardship creates a perfect storm. From smartphones and laptops to e-bikes and disposable vapes, damaged or punctured batteries can ignite when discarded improperly. The danger grows as low-cost items flood the market and regulations struggle to keep pace with rapid technological change. The public health and environmental costs mount quickly when fires occur in waste facilities, with toxic fumes and firefighting effluent adding to the risk profile.
This is not just a waste sector problem; it touches every CRE portfolio that relies on efficient waste streams and clear, accountable waste practices. The single-use vape ban, introduced in 2025, may also be shifting discard behaviours in ways that create new hazards at point of collection and processing. The message from London and beyond is clear: policy intervention is needed to curb unsafe disposal and to share the cost of safer systems.
The Implications
There are significant consequences for commercial property owners, asset managers and ESG leads if these fires go unmanaged. The costs extend beyond the immediate damage and emergency response. They ripple through governance, tenant experience, and portfolio risk.
Operational and financial risk. Infrastructure damage, facility downtime and disrupted waste streams drive increased operating costs. Emergency response and diverting resources away from planned maintenance can erode budgets and affect service levels for tenants and occupiers. Research estimates that waste battery accidents impose a substantial, ongoing financial burden on councils and the public purse. For portfolio teams, this translates into higher risk reserves, potential rent adjustments for tenants and tightened procurement levers.
Compliance and regulatory exposure. The legislative framework for batteries and electrical waste has evolved, but many regulations struggle to keep pace with new products and consumer behaviour. The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009 and WEEE rules were designed for a different pace of change. In practice, this leaves a grey area where unsafe disposal can slip through the cracks unless organisations take proactive steps to tighten controls at source and along the collection chain. Stronger producer responsibility and border enforcement are repeatedly urged to close these gaps.
Environmental, social and governance (ESG) impact. Battery fires create measurable environmental harm, from toxic fumes to contaminated firefighting water. At portfolio level, the reputational and regulatory implications feed into CSRD, GRI andGRESB reporting. For ESG leads, misalignment between reported data and actual risk can undermine investor confidence and stakeholder trust. The cost of inaction grows as risk exposure becomes more visible through energy, health and safety metrics.
Impact on tenant experience and billing. Tenants expect well managed buildings with clear waste services. If waste streams are poorly controlled or outages occur, it can complicate billing, curtail service levels and heighten safety concerns for occupants. In turn, this can affect occupancy and asset value, particularly in competitive markets where ESG credentials and operational reliability are differentiators.
The Solution: Real-time Data and Smarter Management
The answer lies in turning data into decisive action. Real-time waste data, smarter sorting and proactive risk management can help CRE teams move from reactive firefighting to preventive controls. This is where modern PropTech and ESG platforms come into their own.
Improve visibility across the portfolio. A single pane of glass that tracks waste streams, incident hotspots and disposal outcomes helps asset managers prioritise interventions where they will have the greatest impact. Early warning signals can trigger targeted inspections, improved segregation and faster removal of high-risk items from general waste streams. For portfolio owners, this means better budgeting, more accurate risk assessment and stronger governance.
Enhance safety and compliance at source. By enforcing better handling of batteries and small electricals at point of discard, building managers can reduce the probability of misclassification and accidental ignition. A data-driven approach supports evidence-based safety programmes and can feed into required reporting to regulators and stakeholders. It also helps in benchmarking performance against peers and identifying best practices across the portfolio.
Support ESG reporting and cost recovery. Real-time waste data feeds into ESG reporting and helps quantify progress on decarbonisation and waste management. For tenants and investors, transparent data supports accountable recharge models and clearer tenant billing. Platforms that combine waste tracking with AI-powered reporting make it easier to demonstrate accountability and compliance while reducing data collection overhead. Real-time waste data can be a core capability for portfolio transparency, while AI-powered ESG reporting supports CSRD, GRI and GRESB aligned disclosures.
A practical approach combines risk-focused waste audits, improved collection logistics and automated data workflows. Implementing a platform that can connect site level data with portfolio dashboards turns fragmented information into actionable insights. For asset managers, this means prioritised safety projects, better occupancy planning and clearer, auditable reporting.
For organisations seeking to enhance their reporting and control, Wastify AI offers a practical English cost of ownership and a clear path to better governance. By delivering real-time waste data and ESG reporting, Wastify AI helps building teams demonstrate responsible waste management while reducing incident risk and operational disruption.
From Guesswork to Actionable Insights
The London battery fire challenge is not going away unless policy, industry and property teams act in concert. The immediate focus should be on reducing risk at source, improving data visibility and strengthening accountability for waste streams. By aligning policy with practical controls and investing in modern data platforms, CRE teams can protect people, reduce costs and improve ESG performance. The opportunity is clear: move from estimating risk to managing it with real-time insights and clear governance. If your portfolio needs a practical turning point, explore how real-time waste data and AI-powered ESG reporting can simplify compliance and safety while delivering tangible value. Visit to learn more about how the Wastify AI platform can help your organisation.
