In the past decade, rechargeable lithium ion batteries have become ubiquitous in products like smartphones, electric toothbrushes, and electric vehicles, powering Vermonters’ everyday lives.
But the new technology has its own challenges, particularly fire safety concerns due to improper recycling, said Josh Kelly, the solid waste program manager for the state’s Department of Environmental Conservation Waste Management & Prevention Division.
Because of these fire safety concerns, waste management officials in 39 states around the country consider them to be the most difficult kind of waste management material to manage, Kelly said, citing a 2023 study conducted by the Association of State and Territorial Solid Waste Management Officials.
The Vermont Legislature approved new recycling requirements for rechargeable batteries last year, and now waste management officials are trying to make sure the public is aware of them.
Jen Holliday, the director of public policy and communications for the Chittenden Solid Waste District, said flare ups from lithium ion batteries occur weekly at their facilities, and workers are trained to quickly extinguish fires.
In 2018, the Chittenden Solid Waste District building in Williston burst into flames after hours, likely from a damaged lithium ion battery. Someone noticed smoke and reported the incident, but the fire damaged the roof and side of a building by the time firefighters responded.
The state does not collect data on fires started by batteries, but Kelly said he is aware of at least five battery-related fires at solid waste facilities in the state since 2023, and there has likely been more.
Todd Ellis, vice president of the national organization Call2Recycle, which partners with the state to operate the battery stewardship program, pointed to a study from the Environmental Protection Agency that showed there has been a 3000% increase in battery-related fires across the U.S. since 2013.
Jeff Weld, vice president of Casella Waste Systems, said flare-ups from lithium ion batteries happen weekly at the company’s facilities around New England. He said the fires are a major concern because of potential harm to workers and emergency responders and the damage to facilities, equipment and vehicles.
Lithium ion battery fires are caused by thermal runaway, a chain reaction that happens when a battery is damaged, causing the battery to heat up to about 700 degrees in a matter of seconds, Weld said. Lithium ion batteries should never be placed in trash or normal recycling bins because they are often full of flammable materials, spreading fire that is not easy to extinguish, he said.
“Our biggest goal at the start of every day is to get all of our people home safe to their families, and whether it’s on our trucks or in our facilities, we’re seeing more and more of these fires caused by improper disposal,” Weld said.
Battery stewardship
Vermont remains ahead of the curve with battery recycling. Vermont was the first state in the nation to pass a single-use alkaline battery stewardship law in 2014, requiring manufacturers who sell those batteries to pay towards managing battery waste. The state continues to be a leader in the U.S. on pounds per capita of batteries recycled, Ellis said.
“Vermont has been a leader in stewardship laws and regulations and batteries are really no different,” Ellis said. “Vermont is leading the charge on how to safely handle these products and get them recycled in the U.S.”
Since the battery stewardship program went into effect in 2016, Kelly said single-use battery collection has increased significantly, but rechargeable battery collection has remained steady at a relatively low level, according to data collected by Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation.
In July 2024, the state passed Act 152, the Vermont Primary Battery and Rechargeable Battery Product Stewardship Law, amending the battery stewardship program to include rechargeable and damaged and defective batteries, and banned all batteries from the landfill. Kelly said the hope is that rechargeable battery recycling will increase in the state with the updated law and increasing public awareness.
Right now, Kelly said Vermonters can recycle single-use batteries and small rechargeable batteries that are not embedded in products at a solid waste district or local battery drop-off location. The 2024 amendment also initiated a study on how to best manage large and embedded lithium ion batteries like electric vehicle batteries and powerwalls at end of life, said Kelly.
As part of the update to the Battery Stewardship Program, the state is also implementing an extended producer responsibility program set to take effect Jan. 1 2026, which will require companies that sell rechargeable lithium ion batteries as well as single-use alkaline batteries in Vermont to pay a percentage toward management of battery waste.
“It shifts the paradigm and says producers are going to have a seat at the table for their waste and some role and some responsibility,” Kelly said.
Damaged lithium ion batteries should be stored separately from each other to prevent a flare up, and battery fire is best contained by materials like sand or kitty litter rather than water because of the high temperature of the fire, said Breanna Franzoni, program manager for the Rutland County Solid Waste District.
Landon Wheeler, deputy director of the Vermont Department of Public Safety’s Division of Fire Safety said the division recommends that Vermonters follow manufacturers instructions from the start to the end of a battery’s life. New technologies have often posed new fire safety concerns, but the public has learned new approaches to mitigating risks, and the same can be done with rechargeable lithium ion batteries, Wheeler said.
“Over the last 200 years, there’s always been a new item that’s entered into a household. It was candles, and then it was whale oil that was used for lighting, and then it was natural gas, and then it was in electricity,” Wheeler said. “Throughout time, all of those new technologies have come with their own risks.”
Beyond fire safety concerns, proper recycling of batteries decreases unnecessary waste and allows a variety of elemental, valuable metals like nickel, cobalt and manganese to be recovered and used again in new products, said Holliday, with the Chittenden Solid Waste District.
“There are some really important components in batteries that are scarce, and we want to get them recycled so the material can get used again,” Holliday said.
Weld said he believes that once awareness is raised about proper recycling and fire safety practices for lithium ion batteries, Vermonters will follow suit to protect their environment and their community from fires.
“I think that Vermonters want to do the right thing, but if they don’t know what that right thing is, then that’s where we run into these sorts of challenges.”
Read the story on VTDigger here: Vermont promotes proper battery recycling as new battery technology poses increasing fire risks.