SWANA, NWRA, and ReMA Release Draft Guide to Improve Lithium-Ion Battery Management at Materials Recovery Facilities

December 18, 2025 — Silver Spring, MD

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA), the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), and the Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) released a joint "Guide for Developing Lithium-Ion Battery Management Practices at Materials Recovery Facilities" to offer practical steps for materials recovery facilities (MRFs) to better identify, manage, and respond to improperly discarded lithium-ion batteries. The guide is available here.

As lithium-ion batteries become more common in everyday household products, the waste and recycling industry continues to face a growing number of fires linked to batteries entering the residential waste and recycling stream. The draft guide outlines operational practices, employee training considerations, storage and handling procedures, customer messaging, and emergency response planning to support safer facility operations.

"The rise in lithium-ion battery fires is one of the most urgent safety issues facing the waste and recycling sector,” said Amy Lestition Burke, CEO of SWANA. “This guide provides a strong foundation for MRFs as they build or strengthen their management practices. Our goal is to equip operators with actionable information about reducing risk, including battery identification within the facility and what to do in case of a fire to support better informed and safer working environments.”

“This guide reflects the shared commitment across our industry to protect workers and strengthen safety at every stage of operations,” said Michael E. Hoffman, president and CEO of NWRA. “Lithium-ion batteries pose real challenges for our workers, neighborhoods, and families, and this collaborative effort provides practical guidance facilities can use today. It also underscores why public awareness is so important, which is why NWRA will launch a national public service announcement (PSA) campaign in January featuring Woodsy Owl to help consumers understand how to properly handle and dispose of batteries.”

“Recycling operations are seeing more lithium-ion batteries than ever before, often hidden inside everyday items and placed in the wrong recycling streams, where they pose significant fire risks,” said Robin Wiener, president of ReMA. “By leveraging the collective expertise of our organizations, this guide delivers a consistent, safety-first approach to detecting and managing batteries that have been misplaced in curbside bins by consumers. It also highlights the need for continued consumer education on how to properly and safely recycle batteries through dedicated battery recycling drop-off and mail-in programs, thus returning critical minerals to supply chains.”

The guide supports broader industry efforts to reduce battery-related fires, including NWRA’s upcoming national PSA campaign, “Skip the Bin! Turn Your Batteries In!”, launching in January during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. The PSA will focus on consumer education about identifying battery-containing products and using proper drop-off options to keep them out of the waste and recycling stream. More information is available at BatterySafetyNow.org.

ABOUT ReMA

The Recycled Materials Association (ReMA) represents more than 1,700 companies in the U.S. and 40 countries around the globe. Based in Washington, D.C., ReMA’s mission is to promote safe, environmentally responsible, and economically sustainable recycling through advocacy, networking, and education. To learn more, visit www.recycledmaterials.org.

ReMA Contact

Rachel Bookman

Recycled Materials Association

rbookman@recycledmaterials.org

202-662-8518

ABOUT NWRA

The National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) represents the private sector waste and recycling services industry. Association members conduct business in all 50 states and include companies that manage solid, industrial/hazardous, medical, and construction/demolition debris waste, and represent equipment manufacturers and distributors, and a variety of other professional service providers. For more information about NWRA, please visit www.wasterecycling.org.

NWRA Contact

Genevieve O’Sullivan

National Waste & Recycling Association

gosullivan@wasterecycling.org

202-731-1812

About SWANA

The Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) is an organization of more than 10,000 public and private sector professionals committed to advancing from solid waste management to resource management through their shared emphasis on education, advocacy, and research. For more than 60 years, SWANA has been the leading association in the solid waste management field. SWANA serves industry professionals through technical conferences, certifications, publications, and a large offering of technical training courses.

Media Contact

Kristyn Oldendorf
Director of Public Policy
(240) 494-2237
marketing@swana.org