Wipe Out Waste bi-monthly column

ASK A MECK COUNTY EXPERT

Mecklenburg County Solid Waste experts receive hundreds of residential waste disposal and recycling questions weekly. To educate and empower Natural Awakenings readers, their experts provide updates and answer some of the most frequently asked questions in a bi-monthly column.

Don’t Ignite – Recycle Batteries Right!

We love rechargeable batteries. They power smart phones, laptops, power drills and just about everything in modern society. But rechargeable batteries have a “dark side” when they reach the end of their useful lives as they tend to spark and catch fire if disposed of with regular waste.

When a rechargeable battery has reached the end of its useful life, please bring that battery to one of Mecklenburg County’s Full- Service Centers for safe disposal. Mecklenburg County utilizes Call2Recycle, which is an organization that safely processes end-of-cycle batteries. Mecklenburg County Solid Waste has experienced several fires in the processing systems from errantly discarded rechargeable batteries.

If the battery is not rechargeable, and is just a regular alkaline battery, it is safe to dispose of with regular trash. However, if the battery has been charged, it needs to follow a special disposal path. If you need help determining what kind of battery you have, just drop it by one of the FullService Centers (17131 Lancaster Hwy, 8007 Pence Rd. and 140 Valleydale Rd. in Charlotte; 12300 N. Statesville Rd. in Huntersville) to sort it out for you.

If you have program questions about recycling, waste diversion or anything else related to waste, please visit www.WipeOutWaste.com. To submit a waste disposal and recycling question, email SolidWaste@MeckNC.gov. Jeff Smithberger, Director of Solid Waste, answers the top 7 residential recycling questions at https://tinyurl.com/MeckRecyleRightFAQs.