Yet another... recycling plant fire

[dudleybloke]

this is what happens when things wont burn!

http://www.letsrecycle.com/news/latest-news/waste-...

note to self... only try "recycling" flammable stuff.

[TameScrapman]

Old tyres were being ground down and turned into rubber flooring for playgrounds here. Seems to have died a death though. I suppose there's only so many playgrounds you can put rubber floors in before they're all done.

[AJS-]

Is there nothing in the UK or EU's myriad laws on healthy and safety, fire safety etc to ensure that there are reasonable fire breaks? 1,000 tonnes of tyres in one big pile seems like a bad idea.

[bodysnatcher]

and this morning, another

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yo...

[Glade]

Same industrial estate that I work at...

This is what it looked like when I left tonight. Been getting worse all day.

[Pesty]

AJS- said:

Is there nothing in the UK or EU's myriad laws on healthy and safety, fire safety etc to ensure that there are reasonable fire breaks? 1,000 tonnes of tyres in one big pile seems like a bad idea.

unless you want it all gone to save you a fortune or possibly claim on insurance.

has anybody tried lighting a tyre? i imagine they take a bit of heat to get going. don't imagine a discarded fag will do it more like a gallon of petrol

[wiggy001]

That one I mentioned before... 550 fire engines have attended in 2 years!

[Hooli]

Pesty said:

has anybody tried lighting a tyre?

I've seen one catch light after a 3-4min burnout...

The only ones I've lit have been thrown on a bonfire & took 10-15mins to get warm, at that point they explode & burn. I'm figuring the heat in the steel cables melts the rubber inside & that bursts the tyre apart causing the bang.

[central]

Just up the road from me, a couple of years ago - http://www.northantstelegraph.co.uk/news/top-stori...

[Davel]

V8mate said:

Sites with an environmental permit will have maximum tonnages and, often, maximum durations for waste on site.

I'd like to think so too but look at the photo of the warehouses next door to our site. The waste plastic spills out of the warehouses, fills the fire gaps between the buildings and even fills up the apron across the roadway.

Despite complaints, it was never effectively policed by the EA.

[turbobloke]

The black smoke plume was visible from space allegedly - news report citing NASA iirc.

[Digga]

The government can legislate to push as much waste into recycling as they want, but unless they create a commensurate pull-through for the recycled by-product(s) you will continue to see the problems we are now experiencing; over-piling of stock, fires and other illegal means of disposal.

And, in the meantime, as I and others point out, the vague and shady loopholes which exist make the industry an ideal cash generator for the unscurpulous and criminal underground.

[redstu]

I'm sure it must have happened in other areas as well but it always amazed me how often empty warehouses and other buildings along the Newcastle quayside would manage to catch fire.
Fortunately the incidence has dropped to zero since the huge influx of people who now live in expensive apartments on the sites once occupied by empty tinderboxes.

[PabloTheOrange]

turbobloke said:

The black smoke plume was visible from space allegedly - news report citing NASA iirc.

[dudleybloke]

its just someones dpf on a regen.

[Chrisgr31]

As someone posted its often the Landlord that gets dumped with the bill for clearing sites when the tenant goes bust leaving it full of "recycling" just see http://www.narrowboatworld.com/index.php/news-flas...

The problem is that the piles of recycling tend to generate heat within them, and so they do combust on their own. From a Landlords point of view its even worse because to stop them catching fire you have to spray water on the recycling and it then weighs more before it goes to landfill!

[generalgasser]

http://www.wiltshiretimes.co.uk/news/10970404.Wilt...

Another!

[Digga]

The problems are many and various. Obviously a good old blaze gets plenty of national press coverage, but there are many other examples, going back over the last few years which highlight some very concerning issues: http://www.resource.uk.com/article/UK/EA_%E2%80%98...

[shouldbworking]

My local recycling people have figured out the solution. Stop collecting the recycling!

Started out with leaving the plastics behind.. then the glass, now the cardboard. I have a recycling bin but you can't put anything in it. Cracking.

[Oakey]

I came across an interesting one today which I can only assume is a way to get around the recent legislation that prohibits metal dealers paying for scrap in cash. A metal recyclers that also offers... a cheque cashing service!

ETA: Oh, hey, what do you know: http://www.resource.uk.com/article/Waste_Law/EMR_o...