Tokyo’s 23 Wards Oversized Garbage Facility Shutdown: Impact of Lithium-ion Batteries and Restoration Plans

2023-12-21 11:52:03

On the 21st, Tokyo’s 23 Wards Cleaning Affairs Association announced that its oversized garbage crushing facility (Koto Ward, Tokyo) has been shut down due to a fire, and that it is approaching its capacity to accept oversized trash from within the 23 wards. We are asking people to refrain from disposing of it.

Oversized garbage overflowing at the non-combustible garbage processing center (Tokyo 23 Ward Cleaning Department Association)

◆Is the “culprit” the lithium-ion battery that was mixed in?

According to the association, just following 9 a.m. on November 18, crushed garbage caught fire on a conveyor, destroying the machinery used to separate garbage and iron. It is highly likely that the lithium-ion battery that was mixed in with the garbage was the cause.

Currently, one of the lines at the nearby non-combustible waste processing center is handling bulky waste. The processing capacity is 75% of the original capacity of the facility, and the yard used to store bulky waste awaiting processing is full. The yard at the non-combustible waste disposal center was also 60% full.

◆ Construction cost: 400 million yen, complete restoration expected next winter

The bulky waste crushing facility where the fire occurred = Provided by the Tokyo 23 Ward Cleaning Department Association

The association expects it will be able to withstand the situation until around March next year, when some of the facilities will reopen, but if the center is shut down due to fire or an accident, oversized garbage will overflow. A union representative said, “We are in a critical situation. It’s time for a deep cleaning, but we will dispose of it following March next year.” Full restoration is expected to take place next winter, and construction costs are expected to be approximately 400 million yen.

According to the Tokyo Fire Department, in 2022, 34 fires caused by lithium-ion batteries occurred in garbage trucks and garbage processing facilities within its jurisdiction. (Chitomo Miyake)


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