Japan waste facility fire likely caused by Li-ion battery, repairs to cost $27 million
MORIYA, Ibaraki -- A December 2024 fire at a waste processing plant here was likely caused by a lithium-ion battery improperly mixed into nonburnable garbage, and repairs will cost at least some 4 billion yen (about $27 million), officials said June 24.
The incident occurred at the noncombustible waste processing facility at Joso environmental center in Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, which handles waste from the cities of Joso, Moriya, Tsukubamirai and Toride.
Lithium-ion batteries, commonly used in mobile phones and other portable devices, are prone to catching fire when crushed, causing repeated waste-related fires across Japan.
The December 2024 fire broke out as noncombustible garbage underwent sorting and crushing before being recycled, and spread to nearby trash. One worker suffered minor injuries in the incident. Due to extensive damage, the facility's processing equipment remains unusable. The four cities are currently transporting their noncombustible waste to Narita, Chiba Prefecture, and Mibu, Tochigi Prefecture, to outsource processing to private waste management companies.
The Joso regional administrative association, which runs the waste center, presented three cost scenarios to the councils of the four participating cities: fully repairing the facility; temporary restoration with partial outsourcing; or full outsourcing with no repairs. Fully repairing the facility was the least expensive option, but even after receiving insurance payments, the cities' burden would still total some 4 billion yen. The fully restored facility is expected to resume operations at the end of August 2027, and external waste outsourcing will continue until then.
The association noted that there were 12 fires caused by garbage at the Joso center during fiscal 2024, with all incidents involving dangerous materials such as lithium-ion batteries mixed in with waste.
Moriya Mayor Nobuhisa Matsumaru expressed his disappointment, telling reporters, "Such enormous damage resulted from the careless actions of just a few people. Our only option is to keep urging residents to properly separate their garbage."
(Japanese original by Yui Shuzo, Tsukuba Local Bureau)
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