JACKSON, Wyo. — Teton County has issued a lithium battery advisory to reduce fire risk, and is asking all community members to be aware of how to dispose of lithium batteries safely and responsibly.
Lithium and lithium-ion batteries are in almost every electronic device, including rechargeable game controllers, smartphones, electric bikes and vehicles, tablets, laptops and smartwatches. When damaged, mishandled or disposed of improperly, these batteries pose a fire risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported more than 25,000 fires from lithium-ion batteries in a five-year period.
Lithium batteries have been responsible for two fires in the Jackson area in 2018, and were most likely the culprit in the 2020 trash truck fire at the Teton County Trash Transfer Station (TTS) and the West Thumb Geyser Basin closure in 2022. The Teton County Integrated Solid Waste and Recycling (ISWR) safety guidelines for lithium and lithium-ion batteries are as follows:
- Do not charge cellphones or laptops on couches, beds or other flammable furniture.
- Do not leave phones or laptops in cars where they can overheat.
- Do not overcharge devices.
- Do not dispose of these batteries or devices in the trash or community recycling sites.
Deliver batteries or devices to the Teton County Recycling Center at 3270 S. Adams Canyon Dr. Electronics and lithium batteries are accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Alkaline batteries can be dropped off 24/7 in bins at the front entrance. Please notify a recycling staff member when delivering a damaged battery.
In the last three years, ISWR has seen a 51 percent increase in battery collection at the Recycling Center after a significant spike in 2018-2019 from large battery producing businesses. Businesses are also able to implement their own program for recycling single-use batteries and rechargeable batteries.
