\u201cWe were prepared for a massive response, and we unfortunately haven\u2019t seen that yet,\u201d he said. \u201cBut I think primarily the reason people put their batteries in the trash is that they don\u2019t know not to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the program started, the landfill has had eight battery-related fires. During two of those, fire crews spent days at the site and operations had to be modified\u00a0temporarily. If more residents recycled their batteries, the landfill staff\u00a0wouldn\u2019t lose time to fires and the community would be safer, said Mark Draper, solid waste director for Aroostook Waste Solutions, which operates the landfill.<\/p>\n
Of the recent fires, six were contained by landfill staff. Two were extinguished by firefighters. When the cause can be determined, it\u2019s almost always a battery, Draper said.<\/p>\n
When batteries are punctured, broken or exposed to water, a chemical reaction happens that causes them to heat up rapidly. They will often sputter, and can set fire to what\u2019s around them, Draper said.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/BattsBarrel-102325-pjb-600x400.jpg\")
A cellphone and a lithium battery sit in a bin filled with glass beads, which are used as a fire suppressant, at the Tri-Community Landfill in Fort Fairfield on Oct. 23. The town started its own battery recycling program last year. Credit: Paula Brewer \/ BDN<\/p>\n
The Tri-Community Landfill serves Caribou, Limestone and Fort Fairfield. Aroostook Waste Solutions also manages the Presque Isle Transfer Station. <\/p>\n
Lithium, a lightweight, soft metal found in rocks and certain groundwater, can store a lot of energy in a small space. Lithium batteries power everything from electric toothbrushes and cellphones to laptops and scooters.<\/p>\n
But if they\u2019re not used and charged correctly, or become damaged, they can overheat, catch fire and even explode, according to the National Fire Protection Association<\/a>.<\/p>\n The batteries have been blamed for a number of fires across Maine.<\/p>\n Disposable e-cigarettes powered by lithium cells caused a slew of fires<\/a>\u00a0at Portland-based waste management company ecomaine a year ago. The batteries were also suspected in a trash fire that burned in Orrington<\/a>\u00a0for 10 days in 2024 and in a January blaze<\/a>\u00a0that destroyed a Fort Kent garage.<\/p>\n Under current Maine law<\/a>, manufacturers have to create a collection system for rechargeable batteries. Call2Recycle, a nonprofit that offers free battery collection sites at recycling centers, transfer stations and some businesses in the U.S. and Canada, is that system. <\/p>\n