With Britain bracing for its fourth heatwave of the year and temperatures forecast to reach 35°C, FCC Environment is urging the public to think twice before tossing mini fans and other cheap electricals into their household bins – a habit that is fuelling a growing number of fires at waste and recycling sites.
The handheld fans, which sell for as little as £2, have surged onto the market during this summer’s hot spells. An estimated 7.9 million will be bought across the UK this year, up from 7.1 million in 2025, with online searches for the devices more than doubling during June’s heat. But as quickly as they are bought, many are thrown away: research from Material Focus suggests around 4.3 million mini fans will end up in general household waste this year, based on findings that 55% of all mini fans are binned rather than recycled.
The warning comes from FCC Environment, one of the country’s leading waste and recycling companies. The business has reported a sharp rise in the number of fires fuelled by wrongly disposed batteries and electricals, a trend backed by statistics from the UK fire services, who are now tackling a lithium-ion battery fire every five hours according to new figures from insurer QBE.
Mini fans are the latest example of so-called “FastTech” – low-cost, pocket-sized electricals such as charging cables, earbuds and novelty gadgets that are bought on impulse and discarded almost as fast. Almost all of them contain a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. When crushed in a bin lorry or compacted at a transfer station, these batteries can ignite quickly, putting families, recycling crews and the public at risk – a danger that only grows in soaring summer temperatures.
To keep safe this summer, FCC Environment’s message is clear:
- Never put mini fans, batteries, vapes or any item containing a battery in your household bins.
- Recycle unwanted electricals at one of the 30,000 collection points across the UK, including household waste recycling centres, supermarkets and electrical retailers.
- If you are unsure whether an item contains a battery, do not throw it in any of your bins at home. Take it to your local recycling centre for experts to check.
- Before buying, consider whether a longer-lasting product, or a simple paper or fabric fan, would do the job just as well.
FCC Environment’s Head of Municipal Collections and Streetscene, Brian Ashby, said:
“A mini fan might feel like a throwaway item, but the battery inside it is anything but. As the temperature climbs again, we’re seeing millions of these cheap gadgets bought, used for a few weeks and then dropped straight into the bin, where they can spark serious fires that put our
crews and the public at risk. It takes moments to drop a broken fan at a recycling point instead, and it keeps everyone safer while saving valuable materials from being lost for good.”
FCC Environment works closely with councils across the country to manage waste and recycling safely and efficiently. Residents can find information on how and where to recycle batteries, electricals and other hazardous items by visiting www.gov.uk/hazardous-waste-disposal or by speaking to staff at your local Household Waste and Recycling Centre.
