DAVENPORT, Iowa -- Propane tanks and rechargeable batteries are fire hazards at recycling centers and landfills. According to the Waste Commission of Scott County, those two items are the leading cause.
Batteries and propane tanks contain flammable gases and need to be disposed of properly. If they're not, it puts employees at risk.
"Those batteries, especially rechargeable batteries, have a chance to be really volatile," said Kurt Liske with the Waste Commission of Scott County. "If they get damaged, they have a tendency in some cases to burst into flames. And when you get as much paper and cardboard and other materials as we get, it really freaks us out quite frankly."
To recycle batteries or propane tanks in Scott County, residents need to bring them to the center so staff can handle them separately.