Rumpke issue warning after trash fire

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GREENVILLE — — Rumpke is issuing a reminder to customers about items that don’t belong in trash and recycling after a load of trash caught fire at its Transfer Station located at 5474 Jaysville St. Johns Rd.

Shortly after 8 a.m. on Oct. 14, employees observed a fire in the back of a tractor trailer loaded with garbage. The Greenville Township Fire Department responded to the scene and assisted with extinguishing the fire.

“We appreciate the quick assistance of Greenville Township,” said Noel Moomey, region manager, Rumpke Waste & Recycling. “However, load fires are becoming all too common because of flammable items mistakenly placed in the trash.”

According to Moomey, the Rumpke team has experienced numerous fire events this year, and often the culprit is lithium-ion batteries.

“When compacted in the back of a truck, these batteries can ignite causing fires in vehicles or at our facilities, which can be a dangerous situation for our drivers and the motoring public,” Moomey said.

But batteries aren’t the only flammable item that can cause problems.

“Coal embers, propane tanks, burn barrels, cleaning products are some of the other items that are known fire starters,” Moomey added. “We train our drivers to audit what they collect at each stop to prevent the wrong items from entering our vehicles; however, because items may be contained in bags or are small in size, our team can’t see everything that’s being tossed. That’s why we implore our customers to review our curbside guidelines and acceptable items list for recycling.”

Rumpke reminds customers that flammable items don’t belong in trash or recycling containers. They also offer the following tips:

* Prior to disposing of coal embers, soak them in water so they don’t ignite.

* Seek out return options for propane tanks

* Contact your local solid waste district about specialized recycling options for batteries and disposal options for household hazardous waste such as cleaning products and pool chemicals.

Visit Rumpke.com to review curbside guidelines.

Rumpke Waste & Recycling has been committed to keeping neighborhoods and businesses clean and green since 1932 by providing environmentally friendly waste disposal solutions, including residential, commercial and recycling service. Rumpke is one of the nation’s largest privately owned residential and commercial waste and recycling firms, providing service to areas of Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia. For more information, visit www.rumpke.com.

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