Third London Recycling Centre Fire This Summer Draws Attention to Battery Risks

125 firefighters tackled a major blaze at a Neasden mixed-waste facility on 28 August 2026, halting the entire Metropolitan line. It was London's third recycling centre fire this summer; the cause remains unknown. Lithium battery fires at waste sites — often from discarded vapes — top ten weekly nationwide and cost roughly £1 billion annually, per the Environmental Services Association.