City of Helena, MT Introduces Lithium Battery Recycling Expansion

SEATTLE (Waste Advantage): This year, there has been an increase in fires caused by discarded lithium batteries, impacting city solid waste services and the Lewis and Clark County landfill. The City of Helena Transfer sStation is expanding its lithium battery recycling program.

“Previously we were working with a company called Call2Recycle and they were shipping us small individual cardboard boxes that batteries had to be packaged individually in plastic and that was a free program. Back in April, they decided they were going to start charging us,” Miranda Griffis, the Sustainability and Recycling Coordinator for the City of Helena said.

The expansion is through the same company and is called the One Drum recycling kit which includes 55-gallon barrels and fire suppressant to be able to ship batteries in larger quantities and in a more efficient way without taxpayer burden. Griffis says, “It will increase our diversion of batteries out of the landfill as well as we have had several fires over the past six months so it will hopefully reduce the amount of lithium battery-caused fires.”

Courtesy: www.wasteadvantage.com