Help prevent battery fires with a few simple rules

Did you know old batteries can cause a fire if they are damaged or stored improperly? This scenario is especially true at landfills. Maya Buelow, Lane County Waste Reduction Specialist, said batteries sparked dozens of “thermal events” at Short Mountain Landfill over the past several years. Improper battery disposal has started fires in the back of garbage trucks, endangering workers and equipment, with fire rates doubling since 2018. Help prevent fires by remembering a few simple rules:

• Only alkaline batteries, like “AA,” “AAA,” “C,” or” D,” should go in the trash.

• Six-volt and nine-volt batteries are recyclable.

• Rechargeable batteries such as cell phone batteries, nickel-cadmium (N-Cd), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) and lithium ion (Li-Ion) are recyclable. These batteries should be carefully stored and prepared for drop-off recycling by taping battery ends with clear packing tape and bagging them in quart-sized, zip-sealed plastic bags.

• Button batteries (i.e., those in watches, cameras, hearing aids, etc.) are also recyclable and should be taped on the flat sides.

• Read labels carefully. Some Li-ion batteries look like traditional alkaline batteries. When in doubt, recycle the battery.

  
  

Visit lanecountyor.gov/hazwaste to find out where you can recycle your batteries in Lane County.

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Daniel Hiestand has been the Lane County Waste Reduction Outreach Coordinator since 2022. Waste Wise Lane County empowers residents, schools and businesses with resources to reduce waste and live sustainably.

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