Essex County Utilities Authority Smoke Detector and Smoke Alarm Disposal
FIREX will accept and properly dispose of all manufacturers’ smoke alarms/detectors at no charge.
Kidde/FIREX Safety Division
1016 Corporate Park Drive
Mebane, NC 27302
Attn.: Alarm Disposal
www.firexsafety.com/homedir/en/ProductsServices/Firex.html
Additional Information:
Most smoke detectors contain a small amount of Americium 241, a radioactive material. When installed in your home or office this material poses little threat, but if broken open it can become a health hazard. This is the reason that smoke detectors must be labeled as having radioactive content and their manufacturer's must accept these items for disposal as hazardous waste.
Homeowners can mail smoke alarms and smoke detectors back to their manufacturer by surface or UPS ground mail, marked "For Disposal" or contact one of these 800 numbers for instructions:
Safety's Sake / Funtech
388 N Elliot Creek Road Amherst, NJ 14228
Life Saver / Frynetics, Inc.
1055 Stevenson Court Suite 102
W Roselle, IL 60172
Code One / Firex / Maple Chase
2820 Thatcher Road
Downers Grove, IL 60515
Dicon
3334 Main Street
Skokie, IL 60076
American Sensors
1-800-387-4219
First Alert/BRK Brands
1-800-323-9005
From the EPA's Office of Solid Waste:
Household Hazardous Waste requirements for disposing of smoke detectors:
Both photoelectric and ionization smoke alarms contain plastic and electronic circuit boards and in some cases batteries (alkaline or lithium). Ionization technology also includes a chamber containing radioactive material incorporated into a gold matrix. Because of the long half-life of americium-241 the amount of radioactive material in the smoke alarm at the end of its certified useful life will be about the same as when you bought it.
EPA’s household waste program encourages waste reduction and minimization. State and local practices for safe disposal smoke alarms vary, but most communities seek to limit the amount of material that requires disposal in a municipal solid waste landfills and incinerators. Waste minimization reduces costs and protects the environment.
Some State Radiation Control Programs conduct an annual round-up of ionization smoke alarms similar to the roundup of batteries or hazardous household chemicals. Other state or local governments recommend that you return the used smoke alarm to the supplier. The address of the supplier is usually listed in the product warranty or user’s manual. If the smoke detector has an alkaline or lithium battery, check with your local community recycling program for disposal instructions.
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