MERCED COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Garbage fires are not only unpleasant, they can be extremely costly and dangerous - but, the new free battery recycling drop-off centers in Merced aim to reduce their likelihood. Merced County Waste Management Authority (RWA) says they have created more than 20 drop-off locations for used old batteries, including at community centers, libraries, and other municipal buildings. The waste authority says throwing batteries away in regular trash cans instead of taking them to hazardous waste disposal facilities can cause fires in garbage trucks and at landfill facilities. WATCH: Fire at one of the world’s largest battery plants forces evacuations in California "The simple act of recycling these items instead of throwing them in the garbage can prevent tragic situations and save significant taxpayer dollars in emergency response as well as environmental mitigation from unnecessary pollution,” RWA said. According to the EPA, there were 65 fires at landfills and materials recovery facilities in 2020 - 89% were definitely caused by lithium-ion batteries (LIB), while the remainder were reported aslikely caused by LIBs. RWA has made recycling batteries more accessible and convenient to local residents to drive these numbers down. According to their website, the program accepts a variety of small, single-use and rechargeable batteries for free, including alkaline, nickel-zinc, nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion, and lithium button batteries, among others, that are not damaged, defective, or bulging. For a full list of drop sites, visit RWA online. Funding is provided by a three-year federal grant through the Department of Energy’s Office ofManufacturing and Energy Supply Chains.