On June 18, a trash fire took place in St. Thomas Woods development.  The cause of the fire appeared to be from a lithium battery.
According to the North Royalton Facebook post, “Rumpke truck was picking up garbage on Hilary Drive in the St. Thomas Woods development, when the driver noticed smoke and immediately ejected the entire load onto the street, to avoid equipment damages and suppress the fire. The Fire Department responded to put out the flames, our Service Department closed down the street. The driver was able to continue his trash route once the load was safely ejected. The cause of the fire was pinpointed to a lithium battery that a resident discarded curbside, which is hazardous waste and should never be thrown away curbside.”
The City reminds residents to “closely familiarize themselves with and adhere to the Recycling Guidelines that are mailed out yearly through the Royalton Recorder. You can find the guidelines on our Service Department’s page of our website, northroyalton.org. Certain flammable materials, such as lithium batteries and chemicals especially, should be disposed of properly, never in your garbage. Lithium batteries can be recycled for free through local Call2Recycle drop boxes, found at many local retail electronic and hardware stores such as Lowe’s and Home Depot.” That also holds true for rechargeable and button cell batteries.  The Service Department notes that worn out single use and primary alkaline batteries, which are not hazardous, can be included in resident’s trash.
Other items that may require special care, as listed on the City’s website, are as follows:
“Fluorescent Bulbs: Incandescent, LED, and halogen bulbs can be disposed of in the regular trash when the bulb is burned out. CFLs and HIDs can be recycled for free at most Home Depot and Lowe’s locations. Fluorescent tubes and ballasts can be recycled at BatteriesPlus locations for a small disposal fee.  Residents with fluorescent bulbs and ballasts can contact the Solid Waste District for additional disposal options. Matt Walters can be reached at (216) 698-7595 or email mwalters@cuyahogacounty.us.”
“Needles: Hypodermic needles and other medical sharps pose a significant health threat to recycling and sanitation workers and should NEVER be put in your curbside or drop-off recycling container. Check with your healthcare provider or facility for a take-back program. If not, place needles in a rigid plastic container (detergent, milk jug, etc.), tape lid shut, write ‘SHARPS’ on container, and place with regular trash.”
“Propane Tanks (20lb Grill): Recycle unwanted 20lb grill tanks by writing “RECYCLE” on the tank and taking it to any Blue Rhino or Tank Traders location. Any standard 20lb grill tank is accepted.  Small Propane Tanks: Unfortunately, there are no good disposal options for small propane or butane canisters for a camp stove, lantern, or torch (usually 2 lb. or less). Due to the risk, the Cuyahoga County Solid Waste District prefers that consumers keep or hold canisters until a better solution is developed. If you have small propane tanks that are new or lightly used, consider donating them to a Scout troop, camping club, or other outdoor organization in your area. They may be able to use the fuel for their programs.  Residents with small propane tanks can also contact the Solid Waste District for additional disposal options. Matt Walters can be reached at (216) 698-7595 or by email mwalters@cuyahogacounty.us.”
“Helium Tanks: Empty helium balloon tanks purchased from a retail store should be punctured and recycled at a local scrap metal yard. You may receive a rebate. Follow the disposal instructions that came with the tank or see these instructions from Balloon Time. Helium tanks are not accepted in Cuyahoga County’s household hazardous waste disposal program. Other Tanks: Refrigerant gas, welding tanks, and medical cylinders should be disposed of or recycled through the company it was purchased or received from. Oxygen Tanks: Medical cylinders should be disposed of or recycled through the company it was purchased or received from. Check with your medical supplier for details about their takeback or exchange program. They will accept oxygen tanks that were purchased from them. Oxygen tanks are not accepted in Cuyahoga County’s household hazardous waste disposal program.”
For a complete list of household hazardous waste materials, go to  northroyalton.org/departments/service_department/recycling_and_trash_service_guidelines.php.  Many of these items can be recycled at the North Royalton Service Yard on the first and third Saturday of each month.  The yard is located at 11545 Royalton Road, just east of Abbey Road.

By GLORIA PLEVA KACIK
Contributing Writer