June is National Safety Month, making it a good time to tackle the escalating dangers associated with the improper disposal of lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are the rechargeable batteries that power everything from household electronic devices, like cell phones, laptops, e-bikes, e-cigarettes, electronic toothbrushes and remote controls, to electric vehicles and even children's toys. Some extended-life non-rechargeable batteries, found at many retail outlets, also contain lithium and can cause fires too.

At a statewide summit hosted by the Pennsylvania Recycling Markets Center (RMC) on June 8 in Bethlehem, representatives of Pennsylvania's waste and recycling industry, and the Pennsylvania RMC, along with state agency officials, gathered to discuss what to do with batteries at the end of their life and how to educate consumers about their safe disposal.

As more lithium-ion batteries are discarded and improperly placed in curbside residential waste or recycling collection containers and bags, the safety risks related to their combustibility are increasing. Once in the recycling or waste stream, these batteries get mixed with tons of materials and placed in hot temperatures under significant compression.

Consumer information about proper disposal, including local drop-off locations, can be found at http://www.call2recycle.org. All Call2Recycle drop-off locations accept used rechargeable batteries.

Additional information can be found at http://www.epa.gov/recycle/frequent-questions-lithium-ion-batteries, a recently-launched Environmental Protection Agency website dedicated to questions on lithium-ion batteries.