The data is clear: A working smoke detector can significantly reduce your risk of dying in a home fire, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Yet one consumer had to face a "tough" reality after their smoke detector stopped working earlier than anticipated.
What's happening?
In the r/mildlyinfuriating community, the consumer shared that their "10-year" smoke detector — a P1210 model from First Alert — stopped working after five years. It was the second of their detectors to do so, and they suspected more would follow.
"Is that a battery powered smoke alarm without an option to replace the battery?" one commenter asked. "What is the point of that? I mean other than the obvious 'make it fail sooner than it otherwise would to create more e-waste and to force people to buy more.'"
"The sensor is only good for 10 years so they have the battery that's supposed to last for 10 years," another person responded, while another said: "I think the idea is to reduce margin of error — we all know those people who leave the low battery beeping until the thing totally drains and stops working. … You're also totally right about the e waste, so it's tough."
"Better [than] false alarms, mine started sounding alarms a few days in a row around 3:30am," a fourth commenter vented. "They definitely don't last the full life expectancy."
Why is this important?
As explained by BRK Brands — the commercial division of First Alert parent company Resideo — 10-year smoke detectors eliminate battery maintenance and replacement costs, which can save consumers time and money.
And they reduce liability because their lithium batteries can't be tampered with. Rechargeable batteries also don't hold a charge as long. Many states and municipal jurisdictions have passed laws mandating the installation of 10-year alarms.
However, even though they save lives, smoke detectors can exact a negative environmental toll during production and at the end of their lives — and that's particularly true if they're not lasting as long as intended.
While mining for lithium battery materials is less polluting than extracting dirty fuels, it does cause environmental contamination.
Lithium batteries also contain hazardous substances, making their proper disposal essential to safeguard public health, while the smoke detectors themselves have plastic components.
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Energy savings 💰 Is First Alert doing anything about this?
Resideo has ambitious sustainability goals that include plans to reduce plastic packaging waste. For instance, transitioning to a single-printed recyclable box helped the company eliminate 100,000 pounds of plastic in one Costco SKU.
For its part, First Alert encourages consumers to contact their local recycling centers to see if they accept defunct smoke or carbon monoxide detectors. It also offers a complimentary disposal program for no more than four intact ionization smoke detectors, excluding postage.
If your recycling center won't accept an out-of-commission smoke detector, First Alert will help you safely get rid of them for "a small fee." However, it points out that "certain components cannot be recycled due to flame-resistant additives in the plastic."
What can be done about e-waste more broadly?
CPSC notes that around two-thirds of fire-related deaths occur in homes without working smoke detectors.
Cleaning your smoke detector can help ensure your device is there when you need it, prolonging its life for the entire warranty period and reducing the potential for premature e-waste.
"Large dust particulate can cause the sensor to flake out. Canned air usually does the trick," one commenter suggested on the Reddit thread.
Along with compressed air (or a hair dryer), First Alert recommends using your vacuum cleaner's soft brush attachment and the hose to suck out dust and other accumulated debris.
More broadly, you can safely get rid of old laptops, cellphones, and other qualified electronics by taking advantage of recycling rewards programs from major retailers such as Best Buy and Amazon and companies including Trashie.
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