Dakota News Now: Experts talk dangers of improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) - April is recognized as National Earth Month. Environmental and recycling groups are leveraging the month to spread awareness for a growing concern in the United States: improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries.
As our world leans into the digital age and more electronics are used in our day-to-day lives, lithium-ion batteries will continue to be prominent. Cameras, phones, laptops, power banks, tools and more use lithium-ion batteries. When they reach the end of their lives or become damaged, that’s where the danger amplifies.
Michael E. Hoffman, President and CEO of the National Waste & Recycling Association, said lithium batteries are a fire waiting to happen.
“They’re ubiquitous. They’re part of our lives. We’re not getting rid of them. We just want to make the public aware of what to do,” Hoffman said.
It’s tough to put out a lithium battery fire and the smoke that it emits is toxic to humans and the environment.
“It’s a chemical reaction and so what happens in the cell structure of a lithium battery is ultimately you’ve overcharged it and weakened the cell structure or it’s become damaged,” described Hoffman. “It can go to thousands of degrees, 1800 degrees Fahrenheit in milliseconds.”
Small fires can sometimes be put out with water, according to Hoffman, but he said often times firefighters battle the flames by containing them and letting the battery burn out, which can take a long time for the chemical reaction to run its course. Other small lithium battery fires can be put out with a fire blanket, but Hoffman warned that fires caused by bigger batteries like those for an electric scooter or bicycle would not respond well to a fire blanket.
“You’re containing the gases, you’ll concentrate them and then you could get an explosion,” explained Hoffman.
Lithium-ion battery fires are becoming increasingly common, to the point where Hoffman says there’s at least one every day in the United States, just in landfill and recycling infrastructure alone. Late last year, three landfill fires were caused by batteries in Vermillion within three weeks.
“We’re asking everyone to take steps to protect our community and the environment,” Vermillion Fire Chief Matt Callahan told the public in November.
Batteries are disposed of with other hazardous materials, not in a regular garbage or recycling bin. A little extra effort can go a long way.
“You prepare the battery, so tape the ends so that they can’t contact,” Hoffman said. “Within about a ten-mile radius, pretty much anywhere in the country, there’s 20,000 retail locations that you can safely drop off your batteries. We ask, please, stop putting them in the waste and the recycling bins. You put yourself at risk, you put the waste employees at risk and you put your firefighters and first responders at risk. We ask you to follow a path that gets them out of that risk environment and into a safe disposal and proper end-of-life management.”
Hoffman said that, depending on the fire station, some fire departments may pick up lithium batteries. In southeastern South Dakota, the Vermillion/Yankton Joint Solid Waste System is hosting an event on April 25th to collect household hazardous waste for a fee of $15 per vehicle. The City of Sioux Falls has its own Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 1015 East Chambers Street. To find the nearest location where you can safely drop off lithium-ion batteries, visit locator.battery.network.org and type in your zip code.
For additional safety tips and information, visit batterysafetynow.org or wasterecycling.org.
By Parker Brown
Dakota News Now
April 19, 2026 - 8:40 PM EDT