Altens recycling centre will need to be demolished after the fire was likely caused by a misplaced battery, say its owners.
In a statement, waste management company Suez said although its “impossible to prove conclusively”, they believe a battery that was accidentally recycled was responsible.
The fire required more than 100 firefighters to attend the scene at its height and took 118 hours to put out.
Local residents lost their water supply as firefighters battled to regain control of the fire.
Could an electric toothbrush have started the fire?
The exact cause of the fire has been a mystery since it began on July 8.
This week, an investigation by the fire service ruled the fire was caused by an accident.
However, the exact cause was reported as “undetermined”. More details of the fire services investigation are expected to be revealed in the future.
But now, the French waste management company Suez, who owns the site, said they believe it was caused by a battery.
Richard Hinchcliffe, regional manager of recycling and recovery said: “We believe it is highly probable that the fire was caused by a battery or battery operated device, for example, an electric toothbrush or a vape.
“Batteries should never be put into a bin.
“We would ask all residents to please dispose of their used batteries and battery operated devices responsibly and if in doubt of where to take them please check on their local authority website.”
How much damage has been done?
The total cost of the emergency is still being assessed.
Built in 2017, the £27 million building was “state of the art” and designed to divert 71,000 tonnes of Aberdeen’s waste from landfill every year.
At the time, council chiefs said the plant would save residents around £6 million in landfill tax per year.
Mr Hinchcliffe said: “We have been working at pace with our insurance company and contractors on-site to understand the level of damage and what work is needed to get the facility back up and running.
“We are hopeful that the offices are salvageable but what remains of the operational areas will need to be demolished before a new facility can be built.”
What will happen to Aberdeen’s waste?
Suez, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City councils have all encouraged people to continue recycling.
Aberdeenshire Council’s contract with Suez finished last month, and they now have a new contract for processing their mixed recycling material.
The full details of this contract have not yet been revealed.
An Aberdeen City council spokesman said: “Thanks to the efforts of employees at the site and the councils waste and recycling team, only one days collections were impacted.
“Services, including recycling, will continue as normal thanks the contingency we have in place.”
Due to the extensive damage to the site, it was revealed that waste was being transported nearly 300 miles to Hartlepool in County Durham.
Mr Hinchcliffe said: “The nearest available facility that can handle the full range of recyclables that Aberdeen City Council collects is in Hartlepool.
“However, we can assure residents that, whilst their recyclable materials aren’t being processed in Aberdeen they continue to be recycled and sent on for processing in the normal way.”
Conversation