West Central Iowa Solid Waste is expanding on a pilot program introduced earlier this year that aims to reduce the number of potentially flammable batteries entering the landfill. In July, they set up collection sites at a handful of high-traffic locations throughout Carroll. Director, Mary Wittry, says the response from the community has been tremendous so far, so they’ve decided to bring the program to other towns in the county.
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Rechargeable batteries have become a part of every day lives. From our phones and computers to hearing aids and power tools, at least one of these batteries are rarely more than a few feet away from us at any given time. While they may be used for a variety of reasons, Wittry says they all tend to end up in the landfill, and that is where they start to cause problems.
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According to Wittry, the Carroll County site has already had five landfill fires so far in 2021, including one in May that destroyed a $90,000 tarp system that had to be replaced. On average, there have been 318 fires per year at waste and recycling centers in the U.S. and Canada since 2016, many of them caused by batteries that had been improperly thrown away. The only batteries that can be disposed of with regular garbage are alkaline batteries, such as AA, AAA, C, D and 9-volts. All others should be taken to one of the nearly two dozen collection sites now available. Residents wanting to learn more about proper battery disposal or to find a nearby drop-off location can visit www.westcentralsolidwaste.com.