The increase in technology has also caused a rise in battery fires, resulting in many industry challenges for ITAD facilities. Lithium-ion batteries are among the most dangerous due to their explosive tendencies, causing hundreds of fires in facilities and homes. Many industry professionals have been trying to solve the battery fire issue under mounting pressure to find a solution, and one recently took a significant step forward.
The Lithium Battery Battle
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) have been a long-standing issue in the e-waste industry. Batteries are hazardous in general, but LIBs are exceptionally prone to causing chemical fires when damaged. When consumers carelessly throw electronics away with municipal waste or even in the wrong waste bin, garbage trucks unknowingly haul loads of trash containing LIBs. When devices are crushed or damaged in transport or during disposal, they can spark chemical fires. Additionally, if garbage trucks drop off loads at landfills, any electronics within the load will cause pollution and potentially a fire.
Visia’s Solution
Tech startup, Visia, just released the first wave of commercial installations of technology designed to detect hazards buried in loads of material, including LIBs. Described as a “physical intelligence company,” Visia provides inbound material visibility systems for recyclers and secondary material processors. In 2024, Visia raised $6.4 million in equity financing and has expanded to 25 operating sites, with five more facilities signed up. According to the startup’s founder, Raghav Mecheri, the technology is now producing a dataset that sheds light on the scale of LIBs moving through the recycling stream.
The new system combines conveyor X-rays, cameras, and truck scanners to detect hazards such as batteries, to autonomously flag and divert items such as lithium-ion batteries, propane and acetylene tanks, toner cartridges, and other dense objects that might result in a fire or backup. Controlled tests are run at each new site via seeding hazards into the system and recording alert rates, with system performance rates typically at 94 to 98 percent accuracy.
“What we are showing people is that a nontrivial number of batteries are moving through every facility, every day,” Mecheri said in an interview. “It is not unusual to see 10 or 12 an hour, and people have found that to be eye-opening.” Mecheri added that while MRF operators typically respond to an average of eight to ten batteries per hour, those numbers are different but equally persistent for e-scrap facilities where material is measured in bulk.
Proper IT Asset Disposition Includes Battery Removal
When it comes to electronic waste disposal, including batteries, the safest and most responsible method is recycling through a professional disposition service. HOBI International, Inc. is an R2v3, RIOS, and ISO 14001 certified IT asset management and disposition enterprise with more than 30 years of experience in the waste disposal industry. Our skilled professionals undergo training and take special precautions when handling lithium-ion batteries during battery removal. HOBI prioritizes employee safety with fire safety practices and special tools during disposition.
For more information about our ITAD services, call 817-814-2620 or contact HOBI at sales@hobi.com.