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Spokane Valley Fire Department urges safe disposal of rechargeable batteries
Summary
Patrick Erickson of the Spokane Valley Fire Department told attendees that rechargeable batteries pose a fire risk and should be taken to designated collection facilities for sorting and recycling; he directed residents to batterysmartspokane.com for details.
Patrick Erickson, a spokesperson for the Spokane Valley Fire Department, urged residents to take rechargeable batteries to designated collection facilities instead of throwing them away.
"These batteries are in our everyday life. Everything from your watch you're wearing, to headphones you wear, to your lawn mower, all the way up to your car," Erickson said. "And what happens when these batteries die? A lot of times folks throw them away, which is incorrect."
Erickson said rechargeable batteries — including types such as lead acid and nickel-metal hydride — can pose a significant fire risk if disposed of in household trash. "If they can recharge, they pose a significant threat of risk of fire," he said. He described the collection process: batteries are sorted, separated, placed in boxes and shipped to recycling facilities across the nation that can discharge and recycle them safely.
He encouraged residents to use local collection sites and to consult a local resource for more information. "For more information and everything you need to know, go to batterysmartspokane.com," Erickson said.
No formal action or vote resulted from the presentation; it was an informational briefing on disposal and recycling options.
