COVINGTON, Ky. – Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub has equipped local fire departments as community collection points for lithium batteries throughout Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The program, which began in 2023, is partially funded by Rumpke Waste & Recycling in an effort to make it easier for residents to properly and safely dispose of lithium batteries.
"Lithium batteries are becoming more prevalent," said Jeff Snyder, senior vice president of recycling, at Rumpke. “And when these batteries reach the end of their life, people don’t know what to do with them, so they toss them into their trash or recycling container, which leads to fires in our trucks and our facilities.”
Covington Fire Stations, Company 1, located at 100 East Robbins, and Company 5, located at 1255 Hands Pike, joined the 10 Ohio and 3 Kentucky fire stations already participating in this important effort to provide access to proper and safe disposal. Brittany Gray and David Doepke with the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub provided onsite training for the firefighters and provided all program supplies. Click here for all the locations.
“The Covington Fire Department is proud to partner with the Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub to help our community safely dispose of lithium batteries," said Patrick Averbeck, Deputy Chief. "As the use of lithium batteries continues to grow, it's important to remember that these batteries have a limited lifespan and should never be thrown out with regular household trash due to the risk of fire and environmental harm. Through this partnership, we’re providing residents with a safe and responsible way to discard old or damaged lithium batteries.”
Both Covington locations will collect lithium batteries, Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. This program only accepts lithium batteries. Parking at the 100 East Robbins location is available in the fire station parking lot off East Robbins. Citizens can use the side door on East Robbins and press the button for entry. Parking at the 1255 Hands Pike location is available between the fire station and the park. Citizens can use the front door on the Hands Pike side to access the drop-off.
Check out the Northern KY Solid Waste Management Area Resource Guide here for more information about battery disposal, and watch the City’s social media for battery recycling and disposal education.
Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub reduces the amount of waste going to landfills by accepting “hard-to-recycle” and reusable items and materials, which cannot go into curbside bins, at their location in Lower Price Hill (911 Evans Street, 45204). Since opening in April 2021, the non-profit Hub has diverted over 1.5 million pounds of materials from the landfill, including electronics, Styrofoam, pill bottles, plant pots, tiles, and much more. Visit their website at www.cintirrh.org. The Hub will also continue to collect lithium batteries for free at the 911 Evans Street facility during public open hours (Tuesdays, from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Thursdays, from 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.).