Fire at Des Moines metro recycling plant leads to warning on what can go in your bins - Des Moines Register

Des Moines recycling plant fire leads to warning on what goes in bins

Fire at Des Moines metro recycling plant leads to warning on what can go in your bins
Phillip Sitter

A company that provides recycling services throughout the metro says a fire last month at one of its facilities has not disrupted services but it's using the incident as a reminder to properly dispose of hazardous items including rechargeable batteries.

It's not specifically clear whether a rechargeable battery or another item put in the wrong stream of waste started a fire Sept. 12 at the Metro Waste Authority recycling facility, 4185 S.E. Beisser Drive, in Grimes. Jim Clark, fire chief of the Johnston-Grimes Metropolitan Fire Department, said the cause of the fire was determined to be "unintentional ignition of combustibles that traveled through the conveyor system and ignited materials inside one of the sorting machines."

Clark gave an initial damage estimate of $1 million to contents of the facility but did not know if that figure increased after Metro Waste Authority evaluated what machinery may need to be repaired or replaced.

Emily Grier, spokesperson for Metro Waste Authority, did not immediately provide a damage estimate.

While the recycling center is open and operating, residents can help out by taking some of their recycling elsewhere, she said in an email.

"While there is reduced machine processing at the facility, the agency is encouraging residents to use Metro Waste Authority’s cardboard and glass drop-offs located throughout the metro," Grier said. "This will keep staff safer and reduce bulk in the recycling we continue to sort."

A list of the company's drop-off locations is available at mwatoday.com/locations/recycling-drop-off/.

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Metro Waste Authority has facilities spread across the Des Moines metro area and handles garbage, recycling, yard waste and hazardous waste.

Grier said recycling is still being collected as normal.

"There hasn’t been, and will not be, a disruption to recycling services as the agency works to repair the damage at Metro Recycling Facility," she said.

"The cause of the fire has not been determined. Nevertheless, improper disposal of items like rechargeable batteries or other hazardous items can pose a danger to staff and damage equipment," she said.

That's the safety message the company also pushed in a video it published in late September about the fire.

"These fires are preventable and we need your help," Leslie Irlbeck, deputy director of Metro Waste Authority, said in the video recorded at the Grimes facility.

Irlbeck then displayed items that do not belong in recycling: laptop computers, tablets, rechargeable batteries or items with rechargeable batteries such as gaming console controllers, and chemicals such as stains, lawn and garden sprays, or pepper spray.

Irlbeck said no one was hurt in the Sept. 12 fire and commended employees' response.

"Although fires at facilities such as this are common in the industry, we're optimistic that we can prevent future fires with your help," Irlbeck said.

More information from the company on where specific items should go for disposal is available at WhereItShouldGo.com.

Phillip Sitter covers suburban growth and development for the Des Moines Register. Phillip can be reached via email at psitter@gannett.com. He is on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @pslifeisabeauty.