The City of Penticton and Recycle BC are requesting the public’s help to keep hazardous items including batteries, propane tanks and electronics out of their recycling carts and garbage bins.
These pose safety risks and have caused a recent increase in fires at recycling facilities and on recycling trucks, according to Recycle BC.
Lithium-ion batteries – commonly found in everyday items like cellphones, laptops, power tools, gaming consoles, baby monitors, vaping pens and hearing aids – can ignite if damaged in waste collection vehicles or during the sorting process. These mix with materials such as packaging and paper recycling and can cause fires.
Propane tanks and electronics with embedded batteries can also be dangerous if damaged and can have life-threatening consequences for facility personnel, machinery and infrastructure. To prevent serious safety risks, it is important to take these items to a designated drop-off location.
To safely dispose of your hazardous materials in Penticton, drop them off at J&C Bottle Depot, London Drugs, PACE or Action Salvage & Recycling. For more information on how to properly throw away hazardous materials, please contact the Recycle BC Hotline at 1-800-667-4321, email info@rcbc.ca or visit recyclebc.ca/hazardous.
If you aren’t sure how to dispose of your item, try the ‘What Goes Where’ tool at penticton.ca/recycling.