State and national groups aim to cut battery fires and recover more critical minerals.

Michigan wants to improve how batteries are recycled in the state.

Officials launched a new Battery Circulation Program last week, which aims to improve safety and recover more of the critical minerals found in some batteries.

Used batteries, they power everything from kids toys to remotes, but experts say once they go dead, they shouldn’t end up in the trash. 

According to national agencies the US is seeing an increasing issue with accidents related to batteries, now a campaign is urging that residents know how to properly store old batteries before it’stoo late.

When household batteries die, it’s hard to know what to do with them. So they get shoved into a junk drawer or sheepishly thrown into the trash.

But dead batteries aren’t quite finished. They can leak heavy metals like cadmium and nickel into soil and water once they reach the landfill. Some of them can also overheat and cause fires in garbage trucks and recycling centers.