Seattle Public Utilities has banned all batteries and some electronics from being disposed of in the garbage due to fire risk. The ban includes small button and alkaline batteries, lithium-ion batteries used in electric bikes and vehicles, and items with batteries embedded in them. Electronic items like computers, monitors and TVs also cannot be thrown in the garbage.
The SPU Director’s Rule took effect Jan. 1. If not disposed of properly, the batteries and electronics risk catching fire. Seattle Fire Department Chief Harold Scoggins said that the department has responded to 79 lithium-ion battery fires in the past two years.
“This is a growing fire safety concern across the nation as consumers purchase more items with lithium-ion batteries,” Scoggins said. “Fires involving batteries can start and spread quickly, so properly storing, charging, and disposing of batteries becomes key to preventing fires where injuries and property loss could occur.”