Lithium-Ion batteries power a lot of our modern devices, but they can cause problems if they’re not disposed of properly.
Sarah Murray, Recycling and Solid Waste Section Manager for the Wisconsin DNR, says over the last several years, there have been a number of fires throughout the waste and recycling industry.
“In collection trucks for garbage and recycling, recycling facilities, transfer facilities, landfills and many of these are either suspected or known to be caused by Lithium-Ion batteries that are contained in many electronics today. This includes devastating fires that resulted in the loss of several recycling or waste facilities in Wisconsin in the last few years,” said Murray.
She says the issue of Lithium-Ion batteries in the waste stream is a big and complex one, and the DNR can’t solve it through rule making.
However, she says they do have authority to add to the list of devices that can be recycled through the E-Cycle Wisconsin program.
The Natural Resources Board recently approved a statement of scope and public hearings on revisions to rules for Wisconsin’s electronics recycling program, which includes considering adding more devices to the list.
