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Metro Waste Authority warns lithium batteries triggered major recycling-facility fire; outlines equipment, compost and energy plans
Summary
Metro Waste CEO Michael McCoy told the council a September 2023 lithium-battery fire shut the recycling facility for about 2.5 months and emphasized battery drop-off growth; he also reviewed recycling robotics, redemption equipment ROI, compost capacity constraints and planned capital projects including a maintenance shop, wastewater treatment capacity and a microturbine at Metro Park West.
Michael McCoy, CEO of the Metro Waste Authority, briefed the council on the agency’s operations, recent technology investments and safety risks, underscoring lithium batteries as a significant hazard to recycling operations.
McCoy described MWA as the region’s largest solid-waste agency, formed in 1969 and serving more than 250 communities. He described facility footprints (east landfill handling roughly 1,000 vehicles a day; Metro Park West with far fewer daily users) and recent capital investments at the Grimes recycling facility — including robotic sorters, optical readers and a new firefighting “rover” tied to AI monitoring on the tip floor.
McCoy recounted a major September 2023 fire at the newer recycling facility caused by a lithium battery that forced a 2½-month shutdown. "Fires are our biggest threat right now," he said, and he urged expanded household battery drop-offs and safer disposal to reduce fire risk. He noted Metro Waste Authority has launched battery drop-offs and reported 836 pounds collected at two Des Moines drop-off locations and approximately 14,000 pounds collected systemwide across multiple locations with DNR partnership.
The CEO said MWA purchased a $350,000 separator for redemption items that now appears to have a three-year return on investment (shorter than expected), and that the agency provides educational tours and programs such as Ready Set Recycle for Des Moines residents.
On compost and organics, McCoy said the current compost operation will reach capacity in roughly 3–4 years; MWA is building a new landfill cell and plans to site future compost and food-waste handling on the new pad, but that requires DNR permitting and a wastewater treatment solution to handle liquids. He also outlined capital needs: a new maintenance shop (to address aging facilities and oversized equipment), potential in-house wastewater treatment capacity (to reduce reliance on external plants), and an economic-development-funded microturbine at Metro Park West to use landfill gas for on-site electrification and to export power to partners.
Council members asked about food-waste collection, central transfer-station replacement options (McCoy said the agency plans additions rather than replacements at present), and the location/availability of drop-off points. McCoy said the agency will work with city staff to expand convenient drop-off options and to publicize hazardous-waste collection and house-side pickup pilots.
No council action was taken; McCoy said staff would continue to coordinate on siting, capacity planning and public education to reduce hazardous materials entering recycling streams.
