We’ve had a recent increase in fires at the Brady Road Landfill and our city’s Materials Recycling Facility—and the cause might surprise you. The culprit? Lithium-ion batteries being tossed in the garbage or recycling.
These batteries are found in everyday items like cell phones, laptops, electric toothbrushes, e-bikes, power tools—even in some greeting cards and toys. When thrown in the trash, these batteries can ignite under the pressure of heavy machinery. And once they’re lit, they’re tough to put out and can reignite, putting our workers, equipment, and environment at risk.
Our Waste Diversion team is seeing more of these fires than ever before. This is a serious safety issue and something we can prevent—together.
🔋 So what can you do?
- Never put batteries in your garbage or blue recycling bin
- Take lithium-ion batteries—and items with built-in batteries—to a 4R Winnipeg Depot
- For regular household batteries, visit one of our 4R Depots, a Winnipeg library branch, or check out Recycle Your Batteries Canada to find a drop-off location near you
Please don’t try to remove batteries from cell phones or laptops yourself. If the battery can’t be safely removed, just bring the whole device.
Every small action helps. Safe disposal keeps our frontline waste staff safe, protects our city’s infrastructure, and reduces preventable fires.
Let’s all do our part to keep Winnipeg safe and sustainable.
For more battery safety info, visit the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service’s tips on battery use.
– Cindy
