Battery fire hazard : Disposable vapes in the waste stream: A battery safety expert weighs in
Although the small lithium battery inside a discarded vape pen may not appear dangerous, these devices have become an increasingly urgent fire hazard for waste management facilities. In this interview, Judith Jeevarajan, Ph.D., Vice President and Executive Director of the Electrochemical Safety Research Institute at the UL Research Institutes, discusses the key safety risks posed by lithium-ion batteries in disposable vape devices when they enter the waste and recycling stream. She also outlines the practical measures that can be implemented to help reduce battery-related fire incidents.
Most people toss a disposable vape without a second thought. Why is that such a problem, and what specifically makes the lithium-ion cell inside these devices so dangerous once it enters the waste stream?
Disposable vapes can be powered by a single lithium-ion cell. Although the vape is no longer usable, the battery may still have a lot of energy left in it. Lithium-ion batteries can cause a fire and thermal runaway to occur if the battery is inadvertently short-circuited or crushed. Both of these can occur if the battery terminals are contacted inadvertently by other metals in the trash, causing a short circuit or due to crushing of the vape and the battery in the trash pickup truck, which compacts the trash.
The term "thermal runaway" gets used a lot, but what does it actually look like inside a garbage truck or on a sorting line? Why is compaction so often the thing that triggers it?
Thermal runaway is the sudden increase in temperature (uncontrollable heat) at a rate of more than 20 deg C per minute, where the temperatures can easily get above 350 deg C in most cases. Inside a garbage truck or a sorting line, this can lead to a large fire and propagation of the fire. Crushing a lithium-ion cell can lead to an internal short inside the cell that results in a fire and thermal runaway.
Crushing a lithium-ion cell can lead to an internal short inside the cell that results in a fire and thermal runaway.Judith Jeevarajan
Many vapes still have charge left in the battery when discarded. How much does that residual energy change the risk, and does a half-dead battery behave differently in a fire scenario than a fully charged one?
Yes, many vapes, especially disposable ones, will still have energy left in them when discarded. Depending on the battery chemistry, it is possible that batteries that have less than 80% of the original capacity of the battery can still be dangerous and lead to thermal runaway and fire if not handled properly. In many types of pouch format cells, cells that have lost more than 20% of their capacity still behave similarly to fresh ones. This depends on the quality of manufacturing as well as the nature of components and the amount that is present inside the cell as the cell ages.
Manufacturers, retailers, regulators, consumers: everyone points at someone else when it comes to end-of-life responsibility. Where does the most impactful intervention actually need to happen?
It is everyone’s responsibility to make the world a safer and more sustainable place. With the lead acid industry, the responsibility has been on the manufacturers of the batteries, and this has resulted in recycling of more than 99% of the lead acid batteries manufactured in the United States.
Take-back schemes and producer responsibility rules are gaining traction in some jurisdictions. What would a genuinely effective collection and handling protocol need to look like in practice?
These are very good schemes and have worked in the past. In most cases, people are not educated on what they need to do with batteries at the end of the life of their devices. Education on recycling for safety and sustainability will go a long way in more effective collection and safe handling protocols.
>>> The environmental impact of disposable vapes: A growing threat to waste management
Waste management sectors should include battery recycling programs and provide educational materials to educate consumers to dispose of their devices with batteries and stand-alone batteries in the appropriate manner in order to increase safety and sustainability.Judith Jeevarajan
What should facilities be telling their frontline workers right now about spotting, handling, and segregating these devices before they cause a fire?
The frontline workers should be given on-the-job training to identify devices with lithium-ion batteries and stand-alone lithium-ion batteries and segregate them from general trash.
Are things going to get worse before they get better, and what should the waste management sector be doing today to get ahead of the curve?
Waste management sectors should include battery recycling programs and provide educational materials to educate consumers to dispose of their devices with batteries and stand-alone batteries in the appropriate manner in order to increase safety and sustainability.
