City and Recycling Partners Urge Residents to Properly Dispose of Rechargeable Batteries After Fires at Recycling Plant

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After three fires at Emterra Recycling Plant in Kamloops in recent weeks, the City and Recycle BC are reminding residents that batteries do not belong in garbage or recycling carts as they can pose a serious risk to workers and machinery. 


“Batteries and electronics are a fire hazard in curbside recycling. Recently, batteries started smouldering at our recycling facility, posing a significant safety risk to our team and our community and potential loss of assets. Fortunately, staff were able to identify and remove the batteries before serious damage occurred, but it’s a dangerous situation that happens much too often,” said Tolly Anto, Emterra Plant Manager. 


Rechargeable batteries, otherwise known as lithium-ion batteries, are found in a range of common household items, such as smart watches, laptops and tablets, cell phones, power tools, gaming consoles, baby monitors, and vaping pens. 


“Placing hazardous materials such as batteries, propane or butane canisters in your recycling can cause explosions, fires and even injuries or death to recycling workers. We strongly encourage residents to think before they put something that is potentially explosive and deadly into a recycling bin. We are asking people to recycle safely – dispose of hazardous waste properly,” said Maja Rusinowska, Manager of Stakeholder Relations for Recycle BC.


Even tiny batteries can pose a big risk. “Take a hearing aid, for example; this small item contains a tiny lithium-ion battery that could cause serious damage, if disposed of improperly,” added Rusinowska.


The reason that lithium-ion batteries are so dangerous to dispose of improperly is because they are highly reactive and can spontaneously ignite. 


“If these items end up in curbside carts, they could potentially catch fire in the cart, the collection truck, or at the recycling plant. These are all highly dangerous scenarios for anyone involved, whether a homeowner, truck operator, or staff at the recycling plant or landfill,” said Marcia Dick, City of Kamloops Solid Waste Reduction Coordinator. 


“We are reminding residents that their actions can help contribute to safety in our community. We urge people to recycle their batteries at one of the many convenient locations to do so,” added Dick. 


How to Properly Dispose of Batteries:


When a rechargeable battery/electronic item containing a rechargeable battery reaches end of life, you can recycle the battery or the entire item at the following locations in Kamloops:

Additionally, household batteries are also accepted free of charge at 27 Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) solid waste facilities around the region. Electronics and small appliances are accepted at 11 TNRD Eco-Depots. Find the TNRD online search tool here. 


What Happens to Recycled Batteries? 


Call2Recycle is the official battery stewardship program in British Columbia and accepts used household batteries from over 1,700 locations in the province. Call2Recycle is a nonprofit organization committed to the safe and responsible collection and recycling of batteries across Canada while safeguarding communities from battery-related hazards. Call2Recycle’s mission is to reduce the environmental impact of used batteries by providing accessible, convenient drop-off locations and managing an efficient recycling program.


Other resources:

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