Garbage trucks are catching fire with potentially explosive consequences. It’s a problem across the nation and here on the Gulf Coast.
THE PROBLEM
It starts with a spark that can lead to a dangerous explosion.
“It's a real problem,” said Earnest Outlaw, a household chemical waste supervisor for Lee County. He’s talking about batteries ending up in the trash. “Lots of batteries go in trash and recycling,” Outlaw added. “We get more than 1,000 pounds a week.”
Damaged, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are particularly dangerous. “What we might see is an explosion,” said Eric Center, a fire inspector for Iona-McGregor Fire District. “These batteries are dangerous, because they burn so hot.”
Battery fires can reach temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit. That intense heat can ignite trash surrounding batteries in trucks. At that point, the only solution is dumping all the trash onto the road so the fire department keep it contained and prevent the entire truck from exploding.
“It takes hours to put them out,” Center added.
BY THE NUMBERS
“In Collier County, we've already seen nine truck fires this year,” said Kari Hodgson, the director of solid hazardous waste management for Collier County. “This wasn't a problem in the past,” Hodgson said. She explained they're seeing more issues, because more electronics like laptops, e-bikes and cellphones are using lithium-ion batteries.
Worldwide, the global data platform Statista projects that between 2022 and 2030, the global demand for lithium-ion batteries will increase almost sevenfold. Those batteries can go bad before you even throw them out.
If you happen to find a battery that's swollen up in your home, don't be tempted to pop it. It could lead to a fire. The good news is: there’s a safe way to get rid of electronics containing lithium-ion batteries.
THE SOLUTION
“We have five conveniently located recycle centers in Collier County where residents can bring batteries free of charge,” Hodgson said. Dropping batteries off in Collier County is as easy as hopping in your car with your electronics and showing up to the drive through. Hand them to the attendant, and they’ll safely dispose of the batteries.
Lee County has a similar drop-off site on Topaz Court in Fort Myers. “It prevents fires, and it prevents those materials entering into the recycling stream,” explained recycle coordinator for Lee County, Kylar Johnson, says bringing batteries, electronics and other dangerous waste to facilities like this one on topaz court helps keep our community clean.
They’re working on preventing problems in garbage trucks and making Outlaw’s job a little easier. “I have a great team. We get it done,” Outlaw concluded.
If you have electronics with lithium-ion batteries in them in your home, there are things you can do to prevent fires. The National Fire Protection Association recommends you stop charging a batteries once they reach 100 percent. Only use the charging equipment that came with your device. Stop using the battery if it shows signs of damage like swelling, change in color or excessive heat.
See where you can take batteries and other hazardous waste in different counties below:
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