Lithium ion batteries ignite three garbage truck fires in California

In case you needed it, here's a real-world example of why you should heed the disposal and recycling warnings found on consumer products. A California electronics company has been fined $25,000 for illegally disposing of lithium ion batteries. The batteries, like the ones found in many rechargeable electronics devices — and yes, electric cars — caught fire when they were crushed in the compactors of the garbage trucks carrying them.

According to The Mercury News, the company, iDiskk, LLC of Campbell, California, simply threw the lithium ion batteries in a dumpster with regular garbage. In three separate incidents, when the dumpsters were picked up by garbage trucks and compacted on board, they ruptured and caught fire.

In one incident, which took place on October 13, 2021, the garbage truck was forced to eject their entire load in the middle of a residential street to prevent the vehicle from catching fire. According to the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office, in the process of jettisoning the smoldering trash, the truck's lift arm also felled power lines, which required repair.