Batteries are everywhere — in phones, laptops, even those greeting cards with recorded sound. But when they run out of juice, here’s how and where to dispose of them in the D.C. area.
Batteries are safe, for the most part, according to Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Ivan Browning. But they can pose a hazard even when they’re not plugged in to a charger.
Between 2013 and 2020, there were 245 fires at 64 waste facilities across the country caused by improper disposal of batteries.
“Closer to home, the region has experienced trash fires in collection trucks, transfer stations, recycling facilities,” and in homes and businesses, said Erik Grabowsky, Arlington County’s Solid Waste Bureau Chief.
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, or COG, has launched a public service campaign to help educate people on how to properly dispose of those batteries.
“Doing this does take a bit more work than throwing our batteries in a trash can,” Montgomery County Council member Kate Stewart said. “But we need to do this to ensure our safety.”
Stewart is also the chair of COG, which has members from local governments in Maryland, Virginia and the District.
Officials gathered at Montgomery County’s Public Safety Training Academy for a demonstration on how easily batteries from laptops, home appliances and other electronics can catch fire and even become projectiles when overheated.
In one demonstration, a power bank, which is used to recharge small appliances, was subjected to pressure — the kind of thing that might happen when put into a trash truck — and within just a minute or two, it gave off puffs of white smoke and burst into flames.
In another demonstration, a cluster of small batteries was placed on a hot plate and gave off waves of heat, then smoke, then shot off the surface of the hot-plate like tiny rockets. Browning explained that’s known as “thermal runaway.”
“Imagine that shoots into something else,” like a sofa or other flammable materials, he said.
Information on how to store and then toss out your old batteries is available at GoRecycle.org, including information specific to your area.
