CAPE CORAL, Fla. \u2014 Musical greeting cards, electric toothbrushes, e-bikes\u2014what do they all have in common?<\/p>\n
They\u2019re powered by lithium-ion batteries, a technology that shows up in more of our holiday gifts and everyday gadgets each year. But with great tech comes real safety risks, and fire experts say it\u2019s crucial for families to know how to recognize a problem and how to dispose of these batteries the right way.<\/p>\n
Senior reporter Emily Young tells you how to dispose of these batteries safely:<\/p>\n
Lithium Ion Batteries<\/p>\n
Fire officials warn that a malfunctioning lithium-ion battery often gives signs before something goes wrong. Keep an eye out for:<\/p>\n
Swollen or misshapen batteriesDevices that suddenly get unusually hotA strange or chemical-like smell<\/p>\n
These may signal a battery that\u2019s overheating or entering \u201cthermal runaway,\u201d a dangerous situation that can lead to fire.<\/p>\n
The Cape Coral Fire Department says the most common causes of lithium-ion battery fires include overcharging, leaving devices plugged in and unattended, charging batteries on soft surfaces like beds, couches, and blankets, which trap heat.<\/p>\n
Lt. Jason Spinner of the Cape Coral Fire Department offers this reminder as new tech floods into homes during the holiday season:<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have all kinds of new tech coming out that\u2019s going to utilize these batteries\u2014and with great tech comes great risk. Make sure you use your chargers in a secured area, on a hard surface with good airflow. Never leave chargers unattended, and always unplug them when you\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it\u2019s time to get rid of an old or damaged battery, remember the acronym \u201cCHARGE\u201d:<\/p>\n
C \u2014 Cool the device down<\/p>\n
If it\u2019s hot or malfunctioning, let it cool before handling.<\/p>\n
H \u2014 Handle carefully<\/p>\n
Never crush, puncture, or dismantle the battery.<\/p>\n
A \u2014 Avoid throwing it in the trash<\/p>\n
Lithium-ion batteries can start fires inside garbage trucks and at recycling facilities.<\/p>\n
R \u2014 Recycle at an approved drop-off site<\/p>\n
Only take these batteries to locations equipped to handle them safely.<\/p>\n
G \u2014 Get it into a fire-safe container if damaged<\/p>\n
If the battery is swollen or leaking, place it in a fire-resistant container before transport.<\/p>\n
E \u2014 Educate others<\/p>\n
Help friends and family understand the risks\u2014these batteries can and do start fires every year.<\/p>\n
Proper disposal prevents the kinds of trash-truck and recycling-facility fires local crews respond to annually. Approved drop-off locations in the area include:<\/p>\n
Electronics Recycling Facility in Fort MyersBatteries PlusHome DepotLowe\u2019s<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CAPE CORAL, Fla. \u2014 Musical greeting cards, electric toothbrushes, e-bikes\u2014what do they all have in common? They\u2019re powered…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":78706,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[44042,209,5681,263,211,210,1330,44039,13828,34600,44040,44041],"class_list":["post-78705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cape-coral","tag-batteries","tag-cape-coral","tag-cape-coral-fire-department","tag-cape-coral-florida","tag-cape-coral-headlines","tag-cape-coral-news","tag-charge","tag-holiday-gifting","tag-holiday-season","tag-home-depot","tag-lowes","tag-lt-jason-spinner"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}