Trashed Batteries: A Serious Concern for Dubuque Waste Management

When something is dead or broken, we throw it out. It's a "no-brainer," right? Well, you might not think twice about tossing out an old phone, a dead cordless drill, or a broken tablet. But inside many of those everyday items are rechargeable batteries. It's not like throwing out disposable batteries like Energizer or Duracell (although these can be recycled, too). When rechargeable batteries are thrown away with regular trash or recycling, they can cause some very serious problems.

Get our free mobile app

Here in Dubuque, the Dubuque Metropolitan Area Solid Waste Agency (DMASWA) is sounding the alarm in their recent press release. Improperly discarded batteries are creating dangerous fire risks for our garbage trucks, recycling centers, and landfills. Fires sparked by trashed batteries can destroy entire collection vehicles, damage buildings, and drive up insurance costs, all while putting workers and the community as a whole at risk.

So why are rechargeable batteries such a big deal?

Unlike traditional single-use batteries, rechargeable batteries (like lithium-ion batteries) hold a high amount of energy in a very small space. That’s what makes them perfect for powering cell phones, laptops, tablets, power tools, and other wireless gadgets we use every day. But it’s also what makes them so dangerous when damaged, crushed, or overheated. This is what happens inside a waste bin, garbage truck, compactor, or waste facility. When a rechargeable battery gets punctured or compressed, it can quickly spark a fire, and some even explode.

To make things trickier, many rechargeable batteries aren’t easily removable. They're built right into the devices, hidden inside that cracked phone or broken speaker you just tossed out. It’s easy to forget they’re even there. That is, until there’s a problem. And if it's a fire in your house or the city's waste truck, it's a serious problem.

Thankfully, DMASWA is making it easier than ever for Dubuque residents to properly recycle batteries and battery-containing devices. Special collection containers are now available at several community locations:

• City of Dubuque Municipal Services Center – 925 Kerper Court
• Carnegie-Stout Public Library – 360 West 11th Street
• Dubuque County Library – Asbury Branch – 5290 Grand Meadow Drive
• Dubuque County Library – Peosta NICC Branch – 8242 NICC Drive
• Dyersville City Hall – 340 1st Avenue East, Dyersville

You can also drop off batteries at the Regional Collection Center located at the landfill.

What it comes down to is never tossing batteries or battery-powered devices in your trash or recycling bin. Take an extra minute to recycle them properly. It protects our environment, our workers, and our community.