CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Mecklenburg County government is sending out a warning: do not throw out rechargeable lithium batteries.
Those batteries are in things like your smartphone, laptop, and even some power tools.
The county said they saw five small fires in just one week at their waste facilities. They said at least one was caused by an old cell phone, another was caused by a remote-control toy.
So what makes these batteries so dangerous? There are a few reasons. Let's connect the dots.
First, when you throw them away, they get bumped around as they move through the dump. If a rechargeable battery gets damaged, that stored-up energy inside can spark. That causes a fire or even an explosion.
Experts say those can also be especially hard to put out because of gases released by the battery.
So if you get an upgrade this holiday season, what do you do with your old devices? Officials are asking you to take the batteries out before you toss them.
Mecklenburg County says you can take them to your local full-service drop-off center.
Those sites are:
- Foxhole Recycling Center
17131 Lancaster Highway Charlotte, NC 28277 - North Mecklenburg Recycling Center
- 12300 N. Statesville Road Huntersville, NC 28078
- Hickory Grove Recycling Center
8007 Pence Road Charlotte, NC 28215 - Compost Central and Recycling Center
- 140 Valleydale Road Charlotte, NC 28214
MORE CONNECT THE DOTS:
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