Throwing Away Household Batteries Sparks Trash Truck Fires

As fire season is upon us, Costa Mesa Sanitary District and CR&R are working together to teach customers one of the biggest fire hazards in solid waste: Batteries, if disposed of improperly, explode in the heat and set fire to collection trucks and facilities.

Sixty-five percent of fires reported at 26 waste facilities in California last year were caused by improper disposal of home batteries. Not only does this cost millions of dollars in damage to the trash trucks and collection facilities, it is also a health hazard to the community and environment. 

ALL batteries, including lithium-ion batteries, are highly flammable. Improper battery disposal in the CMSD service area results in trash truck damage, service delays, and safety risks to both staff and residents. We urge customers to help keep each other safe and always properly dispose of hazardous waste materials, especially batteries.

Dispose of your old batteries as you would any household hazardous waste (HHW). CMSD solid waste customers can request up to three FREE HHW pickups per year. To schedule an HHW pickup, use our online Service Requests feature or call CR&R Customer Service at (949) 646-4617 Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

If you are not a CMSD customer, you can find local hazardous waste disposal resources by visiting: OCLandfills.com/hazardous   

Learn more: www.cmsdca.gov/hhw