Why a dead vape can still start a fire
The battery in a spent disposable isn't empty. Crush it and the chemistry takes over.
Thermal runaway, in one sentence
A lithium-ion cell fails when it generates heat faster than it can shed it through the battery walls. That uncontrolled heating can spread to neighboring cells and grow into a larger fire or explosion. [1]
Battery fires bring extra problems: flammable and toxic gases, cells ejected during failure that start secondary fires, and reignition after the fire looks out. [1]
Why the garbage truck is the worst place for it
Municipal waste and recycling facilities aren’t designed to receive these batteries. The compaction and shredding that’s routine in a truck or a recycling plant is exactly the kind of damage that sets a cell off. [2][3]
EPA’s count rose from two fires at a single facility in 2013 to 65 fires at 16 facilities in 2020, and the agency says the true number is much higher because most incidents never make the news. [4]
What to do instead
EPA’s advice for any lithium-ion battery: keep it out of household trash and recycling, bag it individually, tape the terminals, and bring it to a household hazardous waste collection or an electronics recycler. A VM bin does the bagging and handoff for you. [2]