Montgomery Co: Change The Clocks — And Your Batteries — On Nov. 1

GAITHERSBURG, MD — Daylight saving time ends on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 2 a.m. Montgomery County residents will turn back their clocks and gain an extra hour of sleep, a practice that started in the United States in World War I.

While you "fall back" next weekend, take the time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

There are a number of ways to dispose of household batteries. Throwing them in the trash shouldn't be one of them, according to the county's Department of Environmental Protection.

"Improperly disposed batteries can cause fires in trash cans, on trash trucks, and at the Shady Grove Processing Facility and Transfer Station," officials said.

This applies to all batteries including:

• Dry cell and alkaline batteries
• Lithium batteries
• Lithium-ion batteries
• Nickel-cadmium batteries
• Lead acid (vehicle) batteries
• Uninterruptible power supplies (personal and network)
• Tool batteries

The household hazardous waste drop-off area at the transfer station accepts all batteries, including alkaline batteries, for disposal. Lead acid and/or vehicle batteries can be dropped off at no extra cost.

Many retail locations also accept batteries, but some may charge for disposal service.

"It is important to transport batteries safely when they are headed for disposal, especially larger vehicle batteries. The safest methods of transporting batteries are to protect terminals by placing each battery individually into a plastic bag or by taping the ends with masking tape or another non-metallic tape," officials said. "When carrying small batteries in your pocket, do not mix them with coins and house keys."

Businesses and organizations can dispose of batteries for a small fee through the county's Ecowise Program from 1 to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays at the Shady Grove Transfer Station. The registration form can be found at https://mcgmd.wufoo.com/forms/w1g80qjv1abb6y3/.