The Deal with Batteries
Why and how do they start fires.
Lithium batteries, the rechargeable ones powering your cordless tools, vapes, laptops, and phones, are incredibly safe when they’re just sitting on your kitchen counter. Because they are engineered with safety systems, we use millions of them every day without a second thought. But they store a massive amount of energy in a very tight space, and the trouble starts the moment they end up in a regular garbage bag.
Out at the facility, our garbage trucks and heavy compactors are designed to crush and smash everything they touch. When a lithium battery gets pierced or severely bent under that heavy equipment, it triggers a chain reaction called "thermal runaway." Instead of a Hollywood style explosion, the battery quickly overheats, vents hot gases, and sparks an intensely hot fire right inside the truck or on the active landfill face. These fires are incredibly dangerous for our staff and notoriously difficult to extinguish.
How you can help.
While standard, single-use alkaline batteries (like your basic AA or AAA) are a lower risk, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries should never go in your household trash.
Please bring your old phones, power banks, and rechargeable batteries directly to our designated battery recycling drop-off. Taking an extra minute to sort them out goes a long way in keeping our area, our crews safe and our equipment fire-free!