Landfill fires spark call from city to not throw batteries in the garbage

Lithium-ion batteries. (Source: Andrey Deryabin/iStock via Getty Images Plus)

Winnipeggers are being told to not throw batteries in the garbage or recycling, as it is leading to fires at the landfill.

In an article posted on the city’s website, it says recent fires at Brady Road Landfill and the city’s recycling facility have been linked to lithium-ion batteries.

When those batteries come in contact with equipment at these facilities, they can cause a fire.

The city added that those fires can be hard to put out and the batteries can re-ignite fires even after being extinguished.

Multiple items, from electric toothbrushes and vaping products to some toys and power tools, can have lithium-ion batteries.

People are encouraged to take these batteries to a 4R Winnipeg Depot, where they will be disposed of properly.

If the battery can’t safely be removed, people are told to bring the entire item to the depot.

Even regular batteries, such as AA and AAA, shouldn’t be thrown in the garbage, the city said. Instead, there are recycling options at the 4R Depot or boxes set up at local libraries.

If batteries catch fire in a home, people are told to close the door to that room and leave immediately. Call 911 once outside the home and safe.