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Monday, 8 June 2026

Another one goes up



Huge recycling centre fire by railway near London Bridge sparks travel chaos


Huge plumes of smoke can be seen for miles over south London after a waste dump fire brought rush hour to a standstill.

Thick black smoke pours out of a recycling centre between London Bridge and Dartford shutting all lines between the stations on Monday evening.

A train driver told passengers the fire erupted at a factory around 5.30pm.

Commuters stuck at London Bridge reported a ‘strong smell of burning around the station’.


A cynical chap is bound to wonder if recycling centres are sustainable.

4 comments:

dearieme said...

I ask from ignorance: do Li-ion batteries go to such centres?

Scrobs. said...

There was another huge fire in a similar building next to the railway in Lewisham, a few years ago! The place was a real mess, and easily viewed from the train to Cannon Street! We all wondered how such a 'state of the art' recycling unit could set fire to itself...

DiscoveredJoys said...

Perhaps we should just incinerate low valued types of recycling waste under controlled conditions - just like other domestic refuse? I suspect this is already done in some places but it is not commonly acknowledged for fear of undermining the entire recycling policy.

A K Haart said...

dearieme - I don't know, but it is claimed that Li-ion batteries do find their way into various waste streams even though they shouldn't.

Scrobs - it is claimed that discarded batteries are one cause. Sounds quite likely I reckon.

DJ - yes, incineration could undermine recycling policy and lead to intense activist opposition. Tail wags dog yet again.