If a bill being introduced by Rep. Joel Kitchens becomes law, it could become easier to recycle items containing rechargeable batteries. The Sturgeon Bay Republican Assembly member recently announced the Battery Recovery and Fire Prevention Act, which would not only establish a battery stewardship program to become responsible for collecting and recycling batteries sold in Wisconsin, but it would also give producers a year after the bill’s passage to become a part of a DNR-approved stewardship plan if they sell covered batteries or products containing them. Kitchens’ goal with the bill is to mitigate the fires they can cause, improve recycling, and reduce landfill disposal. Lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used for cell phones, laptops, power tools, electric toothbrushes, and other devices, can ignite or explode if they are damaged, crushed, or exposed to high heat. The fires they cause are also extremely dangerous. Last month, firefighters from the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department responded to the blaze on Belgian Road near County Highway DK after a garbage truck driver noticed smoke emanating from the rear of the vehicle while it was on its route. The driver quickly turned around and dumped the truck’s load out, and firefighters discovered a discarded Sawzall among the burning materials. Assistant Fire Chief Jim Wautier says that improperly disposing of rechargeable batteries and the problems they can cause are one of their biggest concerns.

Last year, after a similar event also occurred in Brussels, Bluewater Services owner John Mastalir said he would rather take the items for free and absorb the cost himself rather than risking his equipment and the safety of his employees.

Kitchens is still searching for co-sponsors for his bill. According to the Disaster Recovery Journal, there are an average of 5,000 fires related to lithium-ion batteries every year.