Where to safely dispose of swollen li-ion batteries?

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It's only a fire risk if it has any charge in it. You can fully discharge it by soaking it in salt water (add salt to water until no more dissolves) and then soak the battery in that overnight. It might sound crazy, but there's a ton of technical research to back this up, and companies such as RAV Power and DJI tell you to do this if you make a warranty claim on faulty batteries to ensure they're rendered safe.

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Dazz316@reddit

I have no idea if this is true, but before attempting. Google the shit out of this first.

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ImChimeraX@reddit

I just googled it, and one of the first things you should find is a scientific research paper on exactly this process. And many other results from here and elsewhere including YouTube videos on how to do it, and that companies are actively telling customers to do this.

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Dazz316@reddit

I meant OP. I don't believe you're lying or anything. But if you're messing with something dangerous and seeking advice online. Double check anybody's advice online, you me or anybody else. Could be a troll or someone just giving you bad advice, could be a professional giving you solid advice. But better to get it wrong and double check the professional and get it wrong and end up in A&E.

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SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

I'm unconvinced: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/salt-water-lipo-disposal-bad-idea-or-really-bad-idea.12467/

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ImChimeraX@reddit

OK for starters, that is referring to Lithium Polymer which isn't used much nowadays. Most modern batteries in phones, laptops, battery packs etc are Lithium Ion. And that link you posted talked about slashing the battery cells. I didn't suggest that, and that does indeed sound like a really dumb thing to do. So perhaps read one of the relevant scientific papers on it? [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8915232/](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8915232/) Or google "soak lithium ion batteries in salt water" yourself to see the kinds of responses.

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SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

I googled it, and found mixed results, including that paper. The methodology in that paper involved connecting wires directly to the battery contacts, and putting the other ends of the wires in salt water, not immersing the whole device. It also involved "healthy" batteries, not swollen ones.

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Healthy_Management12@reddit

Surely if it's swollen you can get the cell out?

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SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

It's not swollen enough to split the outer shell.

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Active-Management223@reddit

Spicy pillow

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burtrembassinger@reddit

The only proper way is to contact a specialist company. For swollen batteries you are meant to put them in a drum and fill it with sand. If you care enough contact a specialist service or try and find one in your area and ask them what to do. Realistically, putting it in a metal tin and covering with sand and then storing it somewhere will be the only safe way of disposing it without getting it recycled. What you do with the tin after that I don’t know.

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SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

... Where does one get sand, if one doesn't happen to live near a beach?

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Slight-Winner-8597@reddit

Smyths and Argos sold sand for their playpits. Think that still might be the case.

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PeggyNoNotThatOne@reddit

My son had a battery so swollen it split the phone case, like a beer-bellied old man bursting out of his jacket. I was worried about the fire risk but as soon as we worked out the local tip would take it, it de-swoled! I know that's not a word in the dictionary but it's a family word coined by my daughter when she was four and she had a wasp sting that de-swoled in a day or two. Anyway, the phone went to the tip along with some other electrical items (a dead toaster and curling tongs).

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RafRafRafRaf@reddit

B&Q, supplies for garden ponds etc. Or for filling kids sandpits.

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Healthy_Management12@reddit

Once it's swollen and no longer heating/expanding, it's safe. The compromise has already dissipated the energy

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hootersm@reddit

That doesn’t sound right at all?

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dragonb2992@reddit

That bucket by the door at Aldi.

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WerewolfNo890@reddit

I would probably throw it into the same bins as laptops. Given that macbooks are intentionally designed to be near impossible to remove the battery, they clearly get disposed of with the batteries inside still. Your powerbank is also electrical waste is it not? So into the same e-waste bin it goes.

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AF_II@reddit

Swollen batteries are not the same as non-swollen batteries. While it's clearly the case (as all these threads show) that people are just chucking them in bins, the disposal should be different. But apparently it's impossible to do it safely in the uk so???????

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boredathome1962@reddit

Many shops have bins for batteries, but local recycling centres might be better as their bins are outdoors...

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Razorwireboxers@reddit

All of the shop bins I have seen say disposable batteries only, no rechargeables.

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bgd_@reddit

You can greatly reduce the risk of it catching fire unexpectatly by temporarily massively increasing the risk of it catching fire by setting fire to it.

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CatBroiler@reddit

You take it to the nearest ocean, and throw it inside. They charge electric eels and power the gulf stream. It's a safe and legal thrill.

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i_sesh_better@reddit

Primary school playgrounds

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AF_II@reddit

The real answer to this is: no one knows. Multiple threads about it already and the tl;dr is that everyone is being sent round in a circle as the tip refuses it, manufacturers say "try the tip" etc. And ofc people saying "put it in battery bins" like that's an ethical choice.

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dbltax@reddit

r/spicypillows

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Mumfiegirl@reddit

Try your local tip

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Where to safely dispose of swollen li-ion batteries?

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29 Comments

Askduds@reddit

ImChimeraX@reddit

Dazz316@reddit

ImChimeraX@reddit

Dazz316@reddit

SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

ImChimeraX@reddit

SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

Healthy_Management12@reddit

SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

Active-Management223@reddit

burtrembassinger@reddit

SpaceMonkeyAttack@reddit (OP)

Slight-Winner-8597@reddit

PeggyNoNotThatOne@reddit

RafRafRafRaf@reddit

Healthy_Management12@reddit

hootersm@reddit

dragonb2992@reddit

WerewolfNo890@reddit

AF_II@reddit

boredathome1962@reddit

Razorwireboxers@reddit

bgd_@reddit

CatBroiler@reddit

i_sesh_better@reddit

AF_II@reddit

dbltax@reddit

Mumfiegirl@reddit