The county’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) urges residents to be responsible when throwing away items, particularly batteries, in order to prevent trash fires.
“Improper battery disposal has led to several recent incidents of fires,” per a release from the county Tuesday.
According to the county, the following should not be put in the trash and can be properly disposed of at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station:
- “Batteries (dry cell and alkaline batteries, lithium batteries, lithium-ion batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries, lead acid vehicle batteries, tool batteries).
- Flammable or combustible liquids (such as gasoline, oil-based paints or kerosene).
- Hazardous materials (including items such as ammonia, bleach, pool chemicals, pesticides, paint thinners).
- Canisters containing propellants (including butane or propane).
- Cylinders containing compressed gas (such as propane, helium, oxygen, acetylene or fire extinguishers).
- Ashes (from fireplaces, fire pits or barbecue grills).
- Charcoal and used charcoal bags (containing flammable agents).
- Unknown substances (will be managed as household hazardous waste).”
“The safest methods of transporting batteries are to protect terminals by placing each battery individually into a plastic bag or taping the ends with masking or another non-metallic tape,” per the release.
Also, the county stated many retail sites take batteries for disposal.
Lithium-ion batteries have been named as possible contributing factors to recent fires. Last month, fire officials said the overheating of a lithium-ion battery plugged into a charger possibly caused a Rockville fire. And in April, a dozen people were displaced due to a fire likely caused by a charging e-scooter in Derwood.
Household batteries like AA or AAA can also contribute to fire risks if thrown away improperly.
