Victory for the inhabitants of Wandre (Liège) and Cheratte (Visé): Recydel is working hard to prevent fires

9 fires in 7 years on the Recydel site in Liège: “When local residents say that it burns all the time, they are right”.

So, “in order to guarantee an optimal level of security“, Recydel is committed to “strengthen training for its employees and intensify crisis management exercises to prepare teams to respond better in the event of an emergency“Also, a new video surveillance system with intelligent cameras”capable of detecting temperature anomalies” was installed. Several meetings also took place between the emergency services and Recydel management with the aim of “coordinate interventions for better responsiveness” in the event of an incident.

Good news for local residents, who are, for their part, invited to join a support committee made up of a member of the Collège Liège, a technical official, five local residents, expert guests and representatives of Recydel . It will be a “space for exchange to discuss local concerns, include the different stakeholders in Recydel’s reflections and thus contribute to more harmonious coexistence“. Applications are now open to join this working group via the email address [email protected]. Based on the applications collected, residents will be asked to vote for their favorite candidates.

Note that if Recydel is committed to stemming the problem of repeated fires, it calls on citizens to “better sort“. Indeed, the Wandre site specializes in the recycling of DEE, or waste electrical and electronic equipment.

This includes all devices that run on electricity or batteries: refrigerators, air conditioners, vacuum cleaners, printers, etc. This equipment sometimes contains lithium ion batteries which, if punctured or crushed, trigger dangerous chemical reactions and ignite.

A new permit application

Recydel had submitted a permit application in 2023. The City had set its conditions for granting it. Finally, a new revised application will be reintroduced, “in consultation with the authorities and local residents“. The new project plans, among other things, to “limit the impact of the site on the local ecosystem, improve traffic around the operating area, reduce noise and visual pollution for the neighborhood and, finally, optimize storage for more efficient management of DEE“.

A new fire on the Renewi site, in Wandre (Liège).

All these advances represent a victory for Caroline Saal, convinced that “when politicians mobilize for citizens, it can only make things happen“.