Residents are being urged to dispose of old batteries safely after three fires in bin collection trucks across the region over the last month.
The latest fire is believed to have been caused by an old phone or laptop battery being carelessly thrown into a household recycling bin, sparking a fire in a collection truck in Ringmer.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze but the truck was left damaged and around five tonnes of recyclables - two weeks-worth of recycling from around 650 homes - were ruined and could not be recycled.
Two similar fires in Wealden bin collection trucks were caused by batteries thrown into bins.
Councillor Jonathan Dow, Cabinet member for Climate Change, said: "It is lucky that no one was hurt in these fires. Dumping old batteries in household waste bins is dangerous and can cause fires, putting lives at risk. Please get rid of them safely - it takes very little effort."
Most non-rechargeable batteries can be recycled at supermarkets and other shops, while rechargeable batteries and electrical appliances can be taken to Household Waste Recycling Sites to be disposed of in a safe way.
To find local places where you can safely recycle old batteries, visit: recyclenow.com/local-recycling
