Riga Municipality urges residents not to dispose of mobile phones, e-cigarettes, laptops and lithium batteries in household waste, as they pollute the environment and are a fire hazard, Latvian Radio reports on 12 April.
The municipality explains that devices equipped with lithium batteries are particularly fire-hazardous if thrown out with household waste, which is compacted.
In recent weeks, there have been several incidents in Rīga where waste from garbage collection vehicles has caught fire because of lithium batteries. Residents are therefore urged to dispose of these batteries in the designated areas.
Old mobile phones, batteries and other electrical equipment can be dropped off free of charge, for example, in specially designated boxes at shopping centres and petrol stations. Waste managers also offer opportunities for businesses to collect batteries by providing offices with special storage boxes.
Unwanted devices can also be dropped off at the mobile collection points of Latvijas Zaļais punkts and Eco Baltia vide. To ensure that lithium batteries last safely, the Consumer Rights Protection Centre urges you to take care that your device does not overheat and that you charge them safely.
