FORT FAIRFIELD, Maine – Aroostook Waste Solutions and the Town of Fort Fairfield announce a joint effort to provide local residents with an additional option for safely disposing of certain rechargeable batteries that pose a risk of starting fires. In addition at the Tri-Community Landfill, residents will soon be able to drop these batteries off at the town office during normal business hours.
Rechargeable batteries, and particularly lithium-ion batteries, pose a risk of fire if not properly managed. If they become damaged or otherwise fail, they can generate intense heat and cause fires.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of fires at the landfill over the past few years,” explained Mark Draper, solid waste director for AWS, “and while we can’t always determine the cause of the fires (most of which are small and do not require a response from the fire department), when we can – it’s a lithium battery,” he added.
Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries are common in cordless tools; various electronic devices such as laptops, cell phones, and tablets; and transportation devices such as e-bikes, scooters and hoverboards.
“And it’s not just the landfill that we are worried about,” added Tim Goff, town manager of Fort Fairfield, “these batteries pose a risk of fire in resident’s homes, garages, and vehicles as well.”
So if a resident has a lithium-ion battery they want to dispose of, they will be able to drop it off at the Fort Fairfield Town Office during normal business hours at no cost to the resident. It will be placed in a fire-safe container, and when the storage container at the town office is full, it will be removed by AWS personnel and shipped to the Call2Recycle national battery recycling program.
Both Goff and Draper added that they hope with success of the Fort Fairfield program, it can be expanded into neighboring communities as well.
For more information, or for questions, please contact the AWS office at 207-473-7840.
Aroostook Waste Solutions is a non-profit corporation owned by the communities of Fort Fairfield, Limestone, Presque Isle and Caribou. Their mission is to provide solid waste management services to the Aroostook County region; in a way that is equitable, environmentally sound, and cost-effective; so that those services can be provided over the long-term.
