Recycling truck fire causes SH20 lane blockage

Aucklanders are being urged to take care with what they put in their recycling bins following a recycling truck fire on SH20/Lambie Drive in Auckland yesterday afternoon.

State Highway 20 was down to one open lane due to a rubbish fire in the left westbound lane near the Lambie Drive off-ramp at Manukau.

The fire was reported to police at 2.17pm yesterday, January 13, after a rubbish truck spilled its load onto the lanes, which was on fire.

Auckland Council says the SH20/Lambie Drive incident is the first recorded waste truck fire in Auckland this year. There was a total of 16 truck fires in 2025, down from 20 the previous year. From October to December, there were no fires in trucks.

An ever-increasing number of battery-powered devices and batteries in household bins are the most likely cause of these fires. Lithium-ion batteries can ignite if damaged or crushed as part of the waste collection process.

Auckland Council has issued a reminder about the correct disposal of hazardous waste.

“While the exact cause of the fire is currently unknown, it’s suspected that hazardous materials placed in a residential recycling bin may have been the cause. To help prevent incidents like this, please refer to the following safe disposal methods for hazardous waste,” a spokesperson for Auckland Council says.

• To dispose of a still-working laptop, contact the Recycle A Device (RAD) programme, a non-profit organisation that refurbishes laptops for those in most need, while giving school students skills to repair them.
• TechCollect NZ and Noel Leeming accept laptops and accessories, even if they weren’t purchased there.
• Community E-waste Collection Days hosted by Echo (formerly known as Computer Recycling). Check the Echo website for their calendar of collection days.
• Some community recycling centres accept e-waste for a small fee.
• Mitre 10 and Bunnings have battery drop-off schemes. Check their websites for more information.
• Gas bottles and canisters can be taken to a community recycling centre or to a MataGas outlet, provided they are empty of gas. Some New Zealand camping stores sell a tool that enables canisters to be fully emptied prior to drop off at a recycling centre.

Visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/whereitgoes to search for places to recycle or get rid of specific items.