On Tuesday, February 23, Parisi Construction will close Felland Road to thru traffic from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. between Burke Road and Lien Road. This one-day closure is needed to repair failing pavement with a temporary concrete pavement patch at the Tranquility Trail intersection.
On January 14, 2021, a load of recyclables within a Streets Division collection truck burst into flames. Thankfully, the operator was able to act fast to keep herself safe and unload the burning recyclables into the street to save the vehicle from burning. The Madison Fire Department responded swiftly to extinguish the fire. The burnt and ruined recyclables were sent to the landfill.
The exact cause of this fire is unknown.
However, lithium-ion batteries, the same ones used to power cell phones, vape pens, laptops, electric bicycles, and many other electronics, are very often the reason for these incidents. Fires at recycling facilities and within recycling trucks from lithium batteries are a worldwide problem.
What should you do with lithium batteries? Never place batteries, particularly lithium batteries, into your recycling carts at your home.
What can you put into your recycling cart? For residents of the City of Madison, you have an abundance of resources to learn what you can place into your green curbside recycling cart. You can check the website, check your recycling cart lid PDF, check your Recyclopedia booklet, or maybe even check your refrigerator if you have requested a free recycling magnet.
Contamination within our recycling is at an all-time high. Nearly 19% of everything placed into our recycling carts does not belong. While not all contamination is as physically dangerous as lithium batteries, all of it hurts the system, increases costs, and can damage or jam sorting equipment .