Electrical waste collections paused at Norfolk recycling centres following Thetford fire

Electrical waste items, including batteries, cannot currently be accepted at any Norfolk recycling centres, following a significant fire at a commercial premises in Thetford used by the council's electrical waste contractor.

Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed that they were called to a fire at a commercial building on Brunel Way, Thetford, at approximately 7.05pm on Thursday 16 April. They remain on site and continue to put out the fire which is now under control. 

The fire has affected a site used by Norfolk County Council's contracted electrical waste collector. As a result, there is currently no available treatment capacity for electrical waste. This means all recycling centres across Norfolk have temporarily stopped accepting electrical items and batteries until further notice.

Norfolk County Council is working closely with its contractor to assess the situation, put contingency arrangements in place and restore services as quickly as possible and we are hopeful that electrical waste collections will resume by the middle of next week.

In the meantime, residents are reminded to never place electrical items or batteries in household waste bins, as this poses a serious fire risk. People are asked to safely store unwanted electrical items at home until services resume.

The disruption may also impact District Council bulky waste collections that include electrical items. Residents should check service availability with their District Council direct. 

Norfolk County Council thanks residents for their patience and understanding while efforts continue to minimise disruption to recycling services.