Environment Minister Peng Qiming said that many lithium batteries exploded due to improper disposal, causing fires or causing injuries to cleaning crews. Guidelines for the management of lithium batteries will be formulated as soon as the first quarter of next year.
More and more household appliances and mobile power supplies have built-in lithium batteries. Some people do not know that lithium batteries are recyclable and throw them into garbage trucks by themselves, accidentally causing fires and even causing injuries to cleaning team members. In order to make recycling management more comprehensive and ensure the safety of cleaning team members, Environment Minister Peng Qiming said today (2) that he will promote a lithium battery safety management action plan and formulate management guidelines, which are expected to be launched as soon as the first quarter of next year.
Power banks, Bluetooth headsets, etc. all have built-in lithium batteries. When they want to dispose of them, some people do not know that these home appliances or items with built-in lithium batteries should be handed over to the cleaning team for recycling or to other appropriate channels for recycling. Instead, they are directly packed into household garbage and discarded. In the end, these improperly discarded or collected items may explode and cause fires. It even caused injuries to cleaning team members. Peng Qiming pointed out that from 2022 to 2024, there have been more than 300 cases of lithium battery fires. In order to maintain the safety of cleaning team members, the lithium battery safety management action plan will be promoted and promoted simultaneously across departments from the three aspects of producer responsibility, correct consumer classification and terminal collection and transportation.
Peng Qiming further pointed out that the plan will formulate management guidelines for the entire life cycle, and introduce technological protective equipment and innovative technologies, including the responsibility that producers must bear for recycling, and how the public can deal with lithium battery fires, etc., to reduce the risk of cleaning crews on duty. The relevant guidelines have invited experts and scholars to hold intensive discussions and collect regulations from countries such as Japan, South Korea, Germany, and the United States, and are expected to be launched as soon as the first quarter of next year.
The Ministry of Environment stated that the safe collection and transportation of lithium batteries requires the cooperation of the public. Daily necessities such as power banks, wireless headphones, and electric toothbrushes may contain lithium batteries. When discarded, they should be separated from general garbage and other recyclables and handed over to the cleaning team resource recovery personnel or appropriate recycling pipelines for disposal. Before recycling, exposed electrodes can be pasted with insulating tape under safe conditions. Products with batteries that are difficult to remove can be delivered for recycling in one piece to avoid forced disassembly.
The Ministry of Environment pointed out that if the battery is swollen, damaged or soaked in water, you should stop using and charging it, first confirm the delivery method with the recycling unit, and proactively explain the condition of the item.
