Riley County bringing awareness to battery recycling

MANHATTAN, Kan. (WIBW) - Riley County officials are urging people to be aware when recycling their batteries.

Officials met last year to discuss the effects lithium batteries had on trash fires to form a program on battery recycling. Vape pens and e-cigarettes are generally the culprits of trash fires as most people are not aware that they contain lithium batteries. The program expanded from just lithium batteries to include information about other recyclable batteries.

Amanda Webb, Riley County Planning and Development Director, said that this was a big emphasis when they met to reduce these fires from happening. ”Impetus for our program, we created a battery recycling educational committee last year when we were talking about an increase in trash trucks and trash facility fires mainly caused by lithium-ion batteries. It kind of goes back to that people aren’t necessarily aware that there’s a battery in there, so they just throw their gadget or product away.” said Webb.

Director of the Noxious facility, Michael Boller, said these batteries can get very hot if not careful so just take them to there facility. “Tell everybody when in doubt don’t throw it out, bring it to our facility let our folks go through them and see what they are identified lithium-ion batteries,” said Boller.

People can come and drop stuff off at the Noxious Weed/Hazardous Waste Facility at 6245 Tuttle Creek Blvd.

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