NEWS

Vape Battery Causes Fire in ACUA Collection Truck

Dec 02, 2019

ACUA Stresses Importance of Safe and Proper Disposal

Egg Harbor Township, NJ -- A vape battery was found to be the cause of a fire in an Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) collection truck during a trash route in Linwood on Tuesday, November 26, 2019.

While completing their route, ACUA employees noticed the smell of smoke and immediately pulled the truck over. The Linwood Fire Department quickly arrived on the scene to put out the fire. After the fire was safely put out, the vape battery was discovered amongst the trash and determined to be the cause.

A similar incident occurred in 2018 when a hoverboard battery caused a fire in an ACUA collection truck along a household trash collection route in Brigantine.

ACUA stresses the importance of checking to see if an item is hazardous before placing it in a trash or recycling can. 

Vape batteries are considered hazardous waste and should never be placed in household trash bins. Residents who need to dispose of them should check with their local vape store, which may accept them for recycling, or bring them to one of ACUA’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Offs held throughout the year ( www.acua.com/hhw).  

As a reminder, residents should never dispose of these items in their household bins:  

• Non-Alkaline Batteries – standard alkaline batteries are safe to place in your household trash can. All other batteries, such as lead-acid car batteries, nickel-cadmium rechargeable batteries, lithium-ion batteries (commonly used in electronics), silver oxide batteries (commonly used in watches or hearing aids) must be taken to an authorized recycler or to ACUA’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Offs. See www.acua.com/batteries for more information. 
  
  
• Electronics – electronics contain hazardous materials that are banned from the landfill. There are many local recyclers who can safely dispose of these items. See www.acua.com/electronics for more information.
  
  
• Household Chemicals – this includes pesticides, oil-based paint, most cleaning supplies, pool chemicals, and other items that are harmful to the environment. Residents can bring these to ACUA’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Offs. See www.acua.com/hhw for more information. 
  
  

• Fluorescent Light Bulbs – these contain mercury and should not be disposed of in the trash. Please return to a local Home Depot, Lowes or bring to ACUA’s Household Hazardous Waste Drop-Offs. See  www.acua.com/hhw for more information. 

If you are unsure if an item is accepted as household trash or recycling, please check ACUA’s website www.acua.com or call at 609.272.6950.