Lithium-ion batteries are in our phones, laptops, tablets, even electric toothbrushes. The lithium-ions are becoming more prevalent as battery types such as alkaline fall out of style — and these new, chargeable batteries present waste and fire hazards. Hudson Daybreak Rotary and the city’s fire department have a solution: the two formed a Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling, where area residents can turn in their devices with lithium-ion batteries they no longer use on April 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Hudson Fire Department.
Hudson Daybreak Rotary’s Kerry Reis is helping organize the event in its first year. She learned of Redwood Materials’ partnership with Rotary in a Zoom meeting in the fall. Redwood Materials, based in Carson City, Nev., tries to create a closed-loop, domestic supply chain by recycling and refining lithium-ion batteries, according to its website.
Reis learned about Redwood, then brought the idea of a battery recycling event to the club’s Environmental Awareness Committee.
“Initially, we thought it was going to cost us some money, but actually Redwood Materials is going to pay for the recycling cost,” Reis said. “For them, there’s a lot of value in the lithium materials, the hard metals inside these devices.”
And for residents with old devices laying around, there’s the potential for harm. The batteries can start fires and create chain reactions that make the fires difficult to put out, hence why the Hudson Fire Department is involved in the event. Not only that, but recycling batteries reduces waste in landfills and reduces metal mining for new batteries.
“This is a first step, we’re first raising awareness and offering this recycling event,” Reis said. “This is spring cleaning.”
The Hudson Fire Department is located at 2121 Ward Ave. Hudson, Wis., 54016.