County of Mecklenburg issued the following announcement on Oct. 29.
We have a special warning about the lithium-ion batteries that power electronic devices like smartphones, laptops, digital cameras and even cordless power tools.
Did you know that if you don't dispose of them properly, they could lead to a fire or explosion in our waste processing systems? It's really happening.
Within the last seven days, Mecklenburg County has seen five separate small fires at our waste facilities – all due to misplaced rechargeable batteries. In one instance it was a cell phone, in another it was an RC toy car. All recent fires were caused by errantly disposed lithium-ion batteries. This is not a situation unique to Mecklenburg County, but every community.
Please, gather your rechargeable batteries and deliver them to any of Mecklenburg County's Full-Service Centers for proper disposal. Never put them in the trash or recycling cart. Full-Service Centers are open six days a week from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m., and there is no charge for bringing us your batteries.
If you cannot remove the battery from the device, please bring us the whole device. We would rather assist in removing the battery rather than put out a fire.
Original source can be found here.
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