Lithium Batteries, Lost Cash, and Pet Food: This Week in Belgium

From hidden fire risks lurking in household waste to vanishing ATM deposits and a supermarket dog food recall, this week’s consumer news from Belgium paints a picture of everyday life where systemic vulnerabilities increasingly put ordinary people at risk. Here’s a closer look at four stories making headlines.

The Silent Threat in Your Trash Bin

Lithium batteries are becoming a growing fire hazard at recycling centers across Wallonia. The number of batteries on the Belgian market has more than doubled from 12 million in 2014 to 25.4 million today, according to RTBF. Since 2022, at least 141 fires have occurred in recycling facilities due to improperly sorted batteries, making them the leading cause of fires in these centers.

This week alone, the Comet Sambre recycling center in Obourg (Hainaut) experienced a major fire likely caused by a lithium battery in automotive shredder residue. In 2024, a worker died in a fire at the Valtris recycling center in Couillet, Charleroi.

The problem is compounded by the fact that many modern devices — from smartphones and wireless earphones to musical greeting cards and light-up shoes — contain hidden, often non-removable batteries. Laurent Dupont, President of COPIDEC, which represents Walloon waste management intercommunales, told RTBF: “The citizen doesn’t even realize the presence of batteries in everyday objects.” He called the situation “a total failure of all the actors concerned throughout the entire value chain.”

A meeting is planned between the intercommunales and the Walloon Minister of the Environment by the end of June to discuss better labeling, consumer awareness, and potential bans on products with non-removable batteries.

Antwerp Eases Parking Restrictions Around AFAS Dome

In more practical local news, the city of Antwerp will introduce a variable parking regime around the AFAS Dome starting July 1. As Het Laatste Nieuws reports, the current fixed two-hour maximum parking limit — which applies on weekday evenings, weekends, and holidays — will now only be enforced during events.

Under the new rules, the two-hour limit applies from three hours before an event starts until two hours after its expected end. If the neighboring Lotto Arena also hosts an event on the same day, the restriction applies there too. The restriction never starts before 9:00 AM or ends after midnight. At all other times, parking is unrestricted.

Parking rates remain unchanged: the pink zone offers the first two hours free, then €0.90 per hour, while the dark green zone charges €1.40 for the first hour and €1.80 thereafter. Residents with parking permits are unaffected.

€3,600 Vanishes at a CASH Point

A more alarming consumer story involves Katrien Stes (37), co-owner of a brasserie in Loenhout, who deposited €3,800 at a Batopin CASH point in early May. Due to a technical malfunction, only €200 appeared on her account. As HLN reports, she was passed between Batopin and her bank KBC for weeks.

“I was passed from pillar to post,” Katrien told HLN’s consumer expert. The promised resolution time was extended from 10 to 25 banking days. Out of desperation, she filed a police complaint. Only after contacting HLN’s news line did KBC resolve the issue within an hour. The money was finally credited in early June — about a month later.

Marie Janart, Commercial Director at Batopin, insists that “once deposited, it’s in the machine. The money never gets lost, even during a malfunction.” According to Batopin, 99.95% of deposits go smoothly, with only 0.05% encountering issues. Over two-thirds of failed deposits are caused by incorrect insertion — paperclips, rubber bands, coins, or folded notes. Withdrawal problems typically occur when customers walk away before the 30-second window expires.

Belfius data shows the scale of the issue: 2,934 reports of failed deposits in 2025, and 1,504 already in the first half of 2026. The numbers are rising as more CASH points are deployed across the country.

Jumbo Recalls Dog Food Over Plastic Contamination

Finally, supermarket chain Jumbo has recalled its house brand dog food “Jumbo Stoofpotje met Lam, Pasta & Groente” (415g cans) due to possible plastic contamination. As VRT NWS reports, the product with best-before date 28-03-2028 has been on sale since April 1. Customers can return it to any Jumbo store for a full refund without a receipt. The chain has urged pet owners not to feed the product to their dogs.

What These Stories Tell Us

Taken together, these four stories reveal a common thread: ordinary Belgian consumers are navigating a landscape where systemic gaps — in product design, banking technology, municipal regulation, and food safety — create real risks. Whether it’s a hidden battery in a birthday card, a malfunctioning ATM, or contaminated pet food, the burden often falls on individuals to identify, report, and resolve problems that should never have occurred in the first place.

In the weeks ahead, the Walloon government’s response to the lithium battery crisis will be worth watching, as will Batopin’s efforts to improve customer communication during ATM malfunctions. For now, these stories serve as a reminder: in an increasingly complex consumer world, vigilance remains the best defense.