WBOY: Campaign aims to reduce battery-related fires on garbage trucks in West Virginia

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — From tools to toys, rechargeable or long-life batteries power a lot of the things we use for work and play. But when those batteries die and won’t recharge, throwing them in the garbage creates a fire risk in garbage trucks and at waste and recycling facilities.

“Those batteries get in the waste steam and they’re on a truck, a transfer station, a recycling facility or a landfill, and they get damaged, there’s a chemical reaction and you get ‘thermal runaway,'” said Michael E. Hoffman, President and CEO of the National Waste and Recycling Foundation (NWRF). “1,800 to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit in milliseconds. And except for the really little (batteries), it’s really hard to get them out with water.”

That creates a specific and unique set of challenges for garbage truck drivers and first responders in rural states like West Virginia, where country roads are long and emergency response can take additional time.

“Dispatch calls the fire department, you figure out where you are and as agreed upon, we’re going to (a location) and we’re going to drop the load,” Hoffman said. “The fire company arrives and they spread the waste out to find the source of the heat and remove it and seek to try and contain it.”

In 2025, there were 448 fires caused by crushed lithium batteries in the waste stream. To reduce this trend, the NWRF and the U.S. Forest Service have launched a public service announcement campaign in West Virginia.

The program is called “Skip the Bin, Turn your Batteries In” and features an animated appearance by Woodsy Owl. The campaign’s website includes videos, statistics and educational graphics.

It also includes a link to an interactive map that will point you toward the closest location within a network of retailers where you can safely drop off batteries and small devices that weigh under 15 pounds.

By Eric Minor
WBOY
April 20, 2026 - 6:40 PM EDT