By John Weare, Keep Alliance Beautiful
From brushing with an electric toothbrush before breakfast to smartphone scrolling at bedtime, an average American handles multiple devices that operate on embedded batteries every day.
Despite a clear, if often small, crossed out garbage can symbol on products and packaging these items end up with regular refuse posing fire hazards in garbage trucks and landfills. If a consumer takes the time to see that cautionary symbol they will likely notice the chasing arrow recycling symbol there also. At the Keep Alliance Beautiful Recycling Center devices containing embedded batteries fall into our e-waste or electronics category.
Individual batteries, however, are segregated for safe shipping. A current goal is to greatly increase the local recycling of devices with embedded batteries starting with vapes (e-cigarettes). City of Alliance Landfill Supervisor Clint Fankhauser has dealt with lithium ion batteries at his facility for some time. He noted that the trucks have not been affected yet though batteries have been suspected as the cause of fires at the landfill working face – trash in the loose fill pit.
The most recent fire occurred this past Fourth of July. The fire department was up there three hours, Clint said. Then the landfill crew worked on it, knocking it down and covering hot spots with dirt.
Embedded batteries came up in about every class Clint attended about a month ago at the state conference for Solid Waste, hosted with conferences for Public Works and Water. “We heard how to prevent and deal with it,” he said.
Consumers may not fully appreciate battery differences. “Lithium ion have a different composition,” Clint explained. “When they’re crushed they catch on fire. A AA (alkaline) just makes a mess. Where it’s our job to (crush and compact) it’s becoming part of a problem.”
Nebraska adopted LB 36 – the Safe Battery Collection and Recycling Act this past spring. This legislation is in line with other states’ extended producer responsibility (EPR) laws. Yet, the Act seems to target batteries themselves, not products containing the power source. The Department of Environment and Energy could change that as they hammer out rules this coming year before the Act becomes official in 2028.
Until then, “Nobody’s come up with a good solution to handle these,” Clint said. He mentioned a chipping process in Australia that could be a game changer, though in practice here, the best option is to collect loose batteries and embedded devices such as vapes and smartphones in metal containers in case they catch fire.
In the past couple years members of the KAB crew would find a vape once in a while sorting bags. I checked and found it could be recycled like current cell phone models, with designs preventing owners from easily accessing/removing the battery. Not long after we began collaborating with Nebulous Vapor owners Dan and Bonnie Van Kerrebrook in downtown Alliance to accept spent vapes as well as cardboard (their original reason for reaching out after opening Oct. 6, 2023), plastic, etc.
During our interview, Dan and I talked about expanding vape collection with a barrel in front of the store for 24/7 use by the public and another for their use to gather what customers bring back. “Quite a few people return them,” Bonnie said. The outdoor barrel would feature a secure lid for safety.
Dan explained that they “got a wild hair” one day and decided to open a business. The vape shop filled a niche in the community after others had operated here in the 2000s. The couple sells vapes and accessories as well as cigars with the only competition coming from smaller selections at gas stations/convenience stores.
“Demand has stayed about the same,” he said, “but business has increased. It took a while for people to realize we’re here.”
Due to the nature of their business I hope Dan and Bonnie can convince all of their customers to recycle vapes. “It is different than a regular business. We have a different rapport,” she said. Dan added, “They talk to us differently than if they’d go to Carter’s for a can of paint.”