By Anil Mathews
Published October 23, 2026
A lithium-ion battery small enough to disappear inside a recycling cart can carry enough stored energy to start a fire inside a collection truck or recycling facility.
The danger does not usually begin because someone intentionally sets fire to a battery. It begins when a battery that was never supposed to enter the municipal recycling stream is compacted, dropped, pierced, crushed or otherwise damaged as ordinary recyclables move through equipment built for paper, cardboard, bottles, cans and glass.
That damage can create an internal short circuit. Heat rises. The battery's internal chemistry begins to break down. If the heat-generating reaction becomes self-sustaining, the cell can enter thermal runaway.
Inside a recycling operation, that one failing battery may then be surrounded by exactly the materials needed to turn a small electrical failure into a much larger incident: paper, cardboard, plastics and other combustible material.
- Lithium-ion batteries can retain substantial stored energy even when a device appears dead.
- Compaction, crushing, puncturing or other mechanical damage during collection and recycling can trigger an internal short circuit and thermal runaway.
- A small battery failure can ignite surrounding paper, cardboard, plastics and other combustible material.
- EPA documented 245 lithium-battery-related or likely battery-related fires at 64 U.S. waste-management facilities between 2013 and 2020 and cautioned that incidents are underreported.
- Lithium batteries and devices containing them belong in dedicated battery, electronics or household hazardous waste collection programs — not ordinary trash or curbside recycling.
What Is Thermal Runaway?
Thermal runaway is the central process behind many serious lithium-ion battery failures.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration describes it as a chain reaction in which heat released by a failing lithium-ion cell damages the cell further — and can also damage neighboring cells — creating additional heat.
The process can be initiated by several conditions, including an internal short circuit, manufacturing defects, improper charging, extreme temperatures and mechanical damage.
Mechanical damage is particularly important in the waste and recycling industry.
A battery that operated safely for years inside a phone or power tool can behave very differently after being squeezed by a truck compactor or struck inside processing equipment.
Collection or recycling equipment crushes, bends, pierces or otherwise damages the cell.
Components that are supposed to remain separated can come into electrical contact.
Stored electrical and chemical energy is converted rapidly into heat.
As temperature increases, additional reactions inside the battery can generate still more heat.
The cell generates heat faster than it can release it to the surrounding environment.
Heat from one failing cell can also affect adjacent cells or ignite surrounding combustible material.
Why Recycling Equipment Creates the Perfect Failure Conditions
Ordinary recycling equipment is designed to separate commodities efficiently. That means material is moved, compressed, dropped, screened, conveyed and, in some systems, baled under significant mechanical force.
Those actions are routine for a steel can or plastic bottle.
For a lithium battery, they can be the trigger.
| Point in the Recycling System | What Can Happen to a Battery | Resulting Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Collection truck | Battery is compressed with household recycling or garbage. | The casing or internal separator can be damaged before the load reaches the facility. |
| Tipping floor | Battery is dropped, driven over or struck by mobile equipment. | A damaged cell can begin heating inside a large mixed pile. |
| Conveyor | A small battery remains hidden under paper, containers or packaging. | Workers or equipment may not identify it before further processing. |
| Screens and sorting equipment | Battery can be crushed, pinched or punctured. | Mechanical damage can initiate an internal short circuit. |
| Baler | A missed battery is compressed into a commodity bale. | The battery can fail during or after baling, potentially igniting stored material. |
| Storage | A damaged battery can remain energized after visible activity appears to stop. | Delayed heating or reignition can complicate incident management. |
This is why putting a battery into a recycling cart is fundamentally different from taking the same battery to a dedicated battery recycler.
A municipal materials recovery facility is designed to process household commodities. A battery collection and recycling system is designed around the battery itself.
For a full look at the equipment inside a conventional sorting plant, see RecyclingMonster's guide to how materials recovery facilities work.
Why a Tiny Battery Can Create a Large Facility Fire
The battery does not have to contain enough energy to burn an entire building by itself.
It only has to provide an ignition source.
Recycling facilities routinely handle paper, cardboard and plastics. Collection vehicles can contain the same materials packed tightly around a damaged battery.
If the battery begins venting hot gases or ignites, nearby combustibles can become involved. At that point, the incident is no longer simply a battery fire. It can become a conventional facility or vehicle fire with a lithium-ion battery at its origin.
That helps explain how relatively small consumer batteries can produce disproportionate consequences.
RecyclingMonster previously reported on a recycling truck fire in which a ruptured lithium battery was believed to have ignited surrounding paper and cardboard. In a separate Santa Rosa case, three fires in less than a month were linked to improperly discarded batteries or battery packs, including an incident that caused extensive equipment damage.
How Common Are Lithium-Battery Fires at Waste Facilities?
There is no reliable real-time national count covering every lithium-battery fire at U.S. recycling facilities, collection vehicles, transfer stations and landfills.
That is important because widely repeated statistics can easily be presented without the context needed to understand what they measure.
The most comprehensive federal analysis remains an EPA study of incidents between 2013 and 2020.
EPA identified 64 waste-management facilities that experienced 245 fires caused by, or likely caused by, lithium metal or lithium-ion batteries. The incidents occurred in 28 states and across all 10 EPA regions.
The affected locations included materials recovery facilities, collection and transportation vehicles, landfills, transfer stations and other waste operations.
EPA also warned that the numbers almost certainly understate the problem. Many facility fires do not receive news coverage, and news accounts do not always identify the ignition source with certainty.
It is a documented historical count covering 2013–2020 — not a current annual estimate. EPA's larger conclusion was that lithium batteries were already causing widespread operational and safety problems and that incident reporting understated the true scale.
The issue has not disappeared.
In February 2025, the Solid Waste Association of North America described fires and explosions from lithium-ion batteries and other improperly discarded hazardous products as a product safety emergency for waste and recycling workers.
In 2026, SWANA continued publishing specific guidance on lithium-ion battery handling and storage for MRFs, transfer stations and other waste operations.
Why Lithium-Ion Batteries Are Different From Ordinary Household Batteries
The key characteristic is energy density.
Lithium-ion chemistry allows a relatively small and lightweight battery to store substantial energy. That is why the technology works so well in portable electronics, power tools, e-bikes and other cordless products.
It is also why physical damage matters so much.
OSHA notes that lithium-ion batteries combine significant stored energy with flammable electrolyte. If the battery's internal safeguards fail, the stored energy can drive a rapid thermal reaction.
That does not mean lithium-ion batteries spontaneously catch fire during normal use. Properly manufactured and managed batteries are used safely in billions of devices.
The recycling-facility problem begins when a battery is sent into a system that was never intended to handle it and is subjected to crushing, puncturing or other abuse.
The Battery May Look Dead and Still Contain Energy
A device refusing to turn on does not mean its battery is electrically harmless.
EPA warns that used lithium-ion batteries can retain enough energy to cause injury or start a fire.
This is one of the reasons batteries are dangerous when discarded casually. A consumer may see an exhausted phone battery or power-tool pack. A recycling facility receives an unidentified energy-storage device buried among other commodities.
The difference matters.
The Hardest Batteries to Catch Are Often Hidden Inside Products
Loose laptop and power-tool batteries are relatively obvious. Embedded batteries are harder.
Lithium-ion cells can be found inside:
- Cellphones and tablets
- Laptops
- Wireless earbuds and headphones
- Electric toothbrushes
- Rechargeable razors
- Portable speakers
- Electronic cigarettes and vaping devices
- Power tools
- Electronic toys
- Digital cameras
- Smartwatches
- Small appliances
- Rechargeable vacuum cleaners
- E-bikes and scooters
In some products, the battery is easy to remove. In others, it is sealed inside the device.
That makes consumer education more difficult. Someone may understand that a loose rechargeable battery does not belong in a recycling cart yet still discard a small electronic device without realizing that the device contains the same fire risk.
For devices with embedded batteries, see RecyclingMonster's Complete Guide to Electronics Recycling.
What Comes Out of a Lithium-Ion Battery During Thermal Runaway?
A battery fire is not only a heat hazard.
OSHA says thermal runaway can release gas, vapor and smoke containing hazardous chemical byproducts. Depending on battery chemistry and fire conditions, these can include carbon monoxide, hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen cyanide and other gases and particulates.
The electrolyte itself also presents chemical hazards.
This makes facility response different from treating every small flame as an ordinary piece of burning paper.
Battery-fire response should follow the site's emergency action plan, battery-manufacturer information and applicable fire-safety guidance. Workers should be trained to recognize battery failure and should not improvise handling or suppression procedures during an incident.
Why Lithium Battery Fires Can Reignite
Visible flames going out does not always mean the battery hazard is over.
A damaged cell or battery pack can retain stored energy, and heat can propagate between cells. Industry and federal safety guidance therefore recognizes delayed reignition as a concern following some lithium-ion battery incidents.
The risk is particularly relevant when damaged batteries are mixed into piles of material or stored near other batteries.
That is another reason facility procedures need to cover not only the initial fire response but also the safe isolation, monitoring and subsequent management of affected batteries.
What Can Recycling Facilities Do to Reduce the Risk?
No MRF can guarantee that a battery will never arrive unexpectedly.
The goal is therefore to reduce both the number entering the system and the likelihood that a missed battery becomes a major incident.
1. Keep Batteries Out Before Collection
The safest battery at a MRF is the battery that never enters the curbside stream.
Clear household instructions, retailer take-back programs, convenient drop-off sites and public education reduce the number of batteries reaching collection trucks in the first place.
2. Train Workers to Recognize Battery-Powered Products
Training should cover both loose cells and products with embedded batteries.
Workers may need to recognize phones, power-tool packs, vaping devices and other battery-containing products before they enter more aggressive processing equipment.
3. Remove Batteries as Early as Possible
Pre-sort stations and load inspection provide opportunities to intercept batteries before they reach screens, crushers, compactors or balers.
The farther a battery travels through mechanical processing, the greater the opportunity for damage.
4. Establish a Safe Battery-Handling Procedure
Workers who encounter batteries need a defined process for removing, isolating and transferring them to an appropriate collection container or downstream battery recycler.
SWANA's September 2026 guidance recommends appropriate boxes or drums for small and mid-format lithium batteries, regular inspection of collection containers and protection of battery terminals before shipment.
5. Separate Damaged Batteries From Routine Batteries
A swollen, punctured, leaking, burned or otherwise defective battery should not simply be placed into a standard battery collection container.
Damaged batteries can require special packaging and transportation procedures.
6. Maintain an Emergency Action Plan
OSHA recommends that facilities handling lithium-ion batteries address battery incidents within their emergency response planning, including potential physical hazards and hazardous decomposition products.
Workers need to understand their role before an incident starts.
7. Review Storage Practices
Batteries intentionally collected at a facility still present a risk if they are stored incorrectly.
Current industry guidance emphasizes limiting quantities in one place, keeping batteries in appropriate containers, maintaining cool and dry conditions, protecting terminals and keeping incompatible materials out of battery-storage containers.
The Industry Is Pushing the Problem Upstream
Waste and recycling operators increasingly argue that facility controls alone cannot solve the battery-fire problem.
The Recycled Materials Association has called for stronger end-of-life management of small and medium-format batteries, noting that improperly discarded batteries create worker-safety, fire and insurance risks throughout the recycled-materials industry.
SWANA has made a similar argument: products capable of creating fires in collection vehicles and waste facilities need safe and convenient end-of-life systems rather than relying on sorting facilities to intercept them after disposal.
That puts greater attention on:
- Battery labeling
- Consumer education
- Retail collection
- Producer-funded collection systems
- Design of battery-powered products
- Convenient household drop-off infrastructure
- Clear management routes for damaged batteries
In other words, MRF fire prevention increasingly begins outside the MRF.
What Should Households Do With Lithium Batteries?
The consumer rule is much simpler than the facility problem.
Do not place lithium batteries or devices containing lithium batteries into household trash or ordinary curbside recycling.
EPA recommends taking them to a dedicated battery recycling, electronics recycling or household hazardous waste collection point.
For an ordinary undamaged removable lithium battery:
- Identify the battery chemistry where possible.
- Protect exposed terminals with nonconductive tape, or individually bag the battery.
- Keep the battery protected from crushing or puncture.
- Take it to a collection location that accepts that battery type.
For a phone, laptop or other product with a battery that is not designed for easy consumer removal, use an electronics recycler or product take-back program rather than forcing the battery out.
For exact battery routes, see RecyclingMonster's Where Can I Recycle Batteries? Guide by Battery Type.
What Should You Do With a Swollen or Damaged Battery?
A swollen, leaking, punctured, overheated, burned or recalled lithium battery needs different handling from an ordinary spent battery.
Do not crush it, puncture it or place it into a standard public battery collection box.
EPA advises consumers to contact the battery or device manufacturer for specific handling information when a lithium-ion battery is damaged. Local household hazardous waste programs or qualified battery recyclers may also provide instructions.
Because requirements vary with battery size, condition and jurisdiction, confirm the destination before transporting a damaged battery.
Why Recycling the Battery Is Better Than Throwing It Away
Keeping lithium-ion batteries out of municipal recycling is not an argument against recycling the batteries themselves.
It is the opposite.
Lithium-ion batteries contain materials including lithium, cobalt, graphite and other resources that can be recovered through specialized battery-recycling systems.
EPA notes that several battery materials are considered critical minerals. Sending batteries to appropriate recyclers can preserve those resources while keeping stored energy out of collection trucks and facilities that are not designed to manage it.
The correct message is therefore:
Lithium batteries are recyclable. They are simply not curbside recyclable.
One Battery, Two Very Different Paths
| Wrong Route | Correct Route |
|---|---|
| Battery placed in household recycling cart | Battery kept separate from municipal recycling |
| Collected with paper, cans and bottles | Terminals protected when appropriate |
| Compressed inside collection vehicle | Taken to an approved battery, e-waste or HHW collection point |
| Battery remains hidden in mixed recyclables | Handled as a known battery stream |
| Sorting equipment may crush or puncture cell | Transferred using battery-specific procedures |
| Internal short and thermal runaway become possible | Sent to a qualified battery recycler |
| Potential worker injury, fire, shutdown and equipment loss | Recoverable battery materials remain in the recycling supply chain |
The Bottom Line
Lithium batteries have become an everyday part of modern life. They power the devices people carry, wear, drive and use around the home.
The same characteristic that makes them useful — storing significant energy in a compact package — is what makes them dangerous when they enter the wrong waste stream.
Inside a collection truck or recycling plant, the battery can be crushed before anyone knows it is there. Once damaged, an internal short can trigger thermal runaway. Heat, gas and flame can then spread into the surrounding mix of paper, cardboard and plastic.
That is why the industry's fire problem cannot be solved by better firefighting alone.
It requires keeping batteries out of municipal recycling in the first place, giving households convenient alternatives, training facility workers to recognize hidden battery products and managing the batteries that do arrive through procedures designed specifically for stored-energy hazards.
A lithium battery does belong in recycling.
It just belongs in a recycling system built to handle batteries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Lithium Battery Fires
Why do lithium batteries catch fire in recycling facilities?
Collection trucks and sorting equipment can crush, puncture or bend lithium batteries. Mechanical damage can create an internal short circuit that generates heat and may trigger thermal runaway.
What is thermal runaway in a lithium-ion battery?
Thermal runaway is an uncontrolled self-heating reaction in which a failing battery generates heat faster than it can dissipate it. The process can produce intense heat, gas, smoke, fire or violent venting and can spread to nearby cells.
Can a dead lithium battery still start a fire?
Yes. A battery that no longer powers a device can still retain electrical energy. EPA warns that used lithium-ion batteries can contain enough energy to injure people or start fires if damaged or short-circuited.
Can lithium batteries go in curbside recycling?
No. EPA advises that lithium batteries and devices containing them should not go into household garbage or municipal recycling bins. They should use dedicated battery, electronics or household hazardous waste collection.
How should I prepare a lithium battery for recycling?
For an ordinary undamaged removable battery, EPA recommends protecting exposed terminals with nonconductive tape or placing the battery in an individual plastic bag, then taking it to an appropriate battery collection point. Damaged or swollen batteries require special instructions.
Primary Sources and Verification
This guide was reviewed against current federal and industry battery-safety guidance available on October 23, 2026.
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Used Lithium-Ion Batteries
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — An Analysis of Lithium-Ion Battery Fires in Waste Management and Recycling
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Frequently Asked Questions
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration — Lithium-Ion Battery Safety
- Solid Waste Association of North America — Lithium-Ion Battery Safety Resources and 2026 Battery Storage Guidance
- Recycled Materials Association — Lithium Battery Management Guidance for Materials Recovery Facilities
- UL Research Institutes — Thermal Runaway Research
Last verified: October 23, 2026.