MANSFIELD, Ohio — In just July, Rumpke dealt with nine fires at its facilities across Ohio, all because of lithium-ion batteries that customers have attempted to recycle.
The batteries can be found in smartphones, cameras, iPads, smartwatches, headphones, and other electronics.
"Lithium ion batteries are particularly dangerous because they are very fragile, they’re small enough to slip through our process and they produce high amounts of heat," Leah Dietle, a spokesperson for Rumpke Waste and Recycling, said. "If they’re damaged in our trucks or at our recycling facilities, they can spark a fire."
The company is now urging customers to avoid throwing those kinds of batteries into their regular recycling. Instead, you're asked to dispose of them through programs offered by your local solid waste department or through programs offered at stores such as Best Buy or Staples.
Other items that are not accepted and can be dangerous to put in your regular recycling include
- Propane tanks.
- Charcoal embers.
- Pool chemicals.
- Other combustible materials.
Rumpke is reminding customers that regular recycling is meant for cardboard and paper products, plastic, aluminum, paper cups, tin cans, plastic bottles, as well as glass bottles and jars.
And when it comes to whether or not pizza boxes can be recycled, we asked.
“[They can be recycled] as long as they aren’t super greasy and have cheese stuck to them,“ Dietle added.
