In a dramatic display of what can happen when rechargeable batteries are thrown in the garbage, fire officials in Montgomery County, Maryland, intentionally allowed several batteries to catch fire in a controlled setting Thursday.
The message to the public: be mindful when getting rid of rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries.
“You just need to be really careful,” said Ivan Browning, hazardous materials battalion chief with Montgomery County Fire and Rescue. “Anything that’s got a rechargeable battery or similar technology could catch fire.”
Rechargeable batteries are found in many devices and appliances, including cellphones, laptops, e-bicycles and cordless power tools, such as leaf blowers and lawn mowers.
Such batteries should be taken to a drop-off site and never tossed in the regular trash, officials said.
They have the potential to overheat or get punctured or crushed, causing them to explode.
“Anything that charges — you need to be aware of how to dispose of it properly,” Browning said.
In the controlled fire display, one rechargeable battery that was punctured lit up like a firework, suddenly shooting sparks, flames and smoke into the air.
“If you throw them in the garbage, they can start a fire either at your house or at waste treatment facilities,” said John Johnson, who manages the office of waste diversion with the D.C. Department of Public Works.
Johnson said many people simply don’t know how dangerous it can be to throw rechargeable batteries in the regular waste bin.
“I was at a community meeting the other day, and no one knew that this was the case,” Johnson said. “It’s really our responsibility to share as much information with the public as possible so that they understand that this is a serious problem and that we need to keep these batteries out of the waste stream.”
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