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All batteries and items that contain batteries should be disposed of as household hazardous waste
A refuse crew’s recent dangerous encounter with batteries on fire in a residential trash bag should remind everyone — household and business customers alike — to never throw any batteries in trash or recycling carts. Always drop the batteries off at a safe collection site.
On Monday, May 11, Fairfax City refuse crew members noticed smoke coming from a trash bag in the trash truck’s hopper immediately after the compactor blade brushed against it. The men immediately notified the driver and retrieved the bag from the truck. Upon inspection, crews determined the fire was caused by a battery improperly disposed of in the trash. Click here to watch the video: https://youtu.be/oMvmyrvcUO4
Thankfully, none of the crew was injured, and the $350K truck — which was nearly full at the time — was undamaged.
Battery Disposal Information
Do not place any kind of battery in the trash or with recycling materials. Always drop the batteries off at a safe collection site (and tape the ends of certain batteries). Click here for a complete list of disposal sites — https://locator.batterynetwork.org — and check the location to confirm they accept the battery you are disposing of.
Click here for disposal directions: https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/publicworks/recycling-trash/batteries).
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