OPINION by Pascal Leroy, Director General of the WEEE Forum
Fires caused by lithium batteries in Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) have become a growing concern for waste management facilities.
To tackle this issue, organisations representing the collection and treatment of spent batteries and WEEE, along with manufacturers of home appliances and consumer electronics, established the Batteries Roundtable in 2019 to exchange views and develop solutions.
Insurance Europe has recently been involved in these efforts through its collaboration in the development of Industry guidance for collecting, handling, and treating waste lithium batteries, published in 2025 by some members of the Batteries Roundtable, Insurance Europe and Recharge. This guidance provides examples of good practice to help manage risks across the waste lithium battery chain, including measures to improve health and safety for personnel, plant and equipment in both single-type battery collection and e-waste treatment streams.