A scary situation during routine garbage collection has Renfrew’s Environmental Officer urging residents to think about what they throw out.
Amanda Springer tells myFM that the town’s garbage crew noticed a strange smell and smoke coming from one of their trucks while on route last week.
She tells us more about the crushed battery they found mixed in with the trash and why it caused a sudden detour to the landfill.
She credits the team operating the truck for knowing what to do when they first suspected that something was out of the ordinary.
Nobody was harmed, but Springer says the situation could have ended up far worse had it been a different collection crew that had unknowingly collected the battery.
Renfrew’s landfill hosts a hazardous waste depot over the summer that accepts small household and tool batteries, as well as car, boat, and accessibility batteries, but Springer notes that program is currently closed.
In the meantime, smaller batteries can be dropped off at a number of locations in town, including Town Hall, the Renfrew Public Library, and the Bruce Street landfill. Laptop batteries can also head to the landfill or be sent to a retail location like Staples or Best Buy.
You can also find locations in the Renfrew area that will accept used batteries through the Call2Recycle website.
(written by Kasey Egan)
