Listen up! Sure, you can throw away your alkaline used batteries in the regular trash bin, but that wouldn’t be very nice of you. Would it?
The environment cares for you, why not care for it as well?
Single-use alkaline batteries and other types of used batteries – consist of chemical compounds. Such as lithium, zinc, cadmium, lead, and sometimes mercury.
When you throw these batteries in the trash and they reach the landfill. These chemicals begin to dissolve into the ground beneath.
And incinerated batteries cause air pollution. You want to breathe, right?
Anyhow, there’s plenty of useful material within batteries that can be recycled and used for various purposes. So keep reading to find out how to dispose of used batteries the right way.
Disposing of Alkaline Used Batteries
You can quickly come to realize that your municipal law might instruct you to throw away alkaline used batteries into the trash bin. And in terms of safety, this is reasonable, as they do not possess traces of mercury.
For example, Duracell states that they hold no health or environmental risk.
In addition to that, the entirety of the batter is recyclable. Each piece can be stripped from the whole, resulting in three separate components. Zinc and manganese. Steel and plastic. Paper and brass.
Because of the mixture of components, you have to send them to a battery recycling facility, not just some handling center. Duracell recommends you contact your local government and ask them where to dispose of the batteries.
However, this is not always cost-effective for businesses, so you might have a hard time finding such facilities.
But keep in mind that throwing away a large chunk of alkaline batteries together can be dangerous, as live batteries, when grouped together, are known to cause radiation, erosion and even explosions.
Disposing of Rechargeable Used Batteries
A lithium-ion battery, which is rechargeable must be recycled under all circumstances.
These batteries can be found in your phone, camera, laptop and anything that can be drained and brought back to life. However, these batteries do have an expiry date, and it is your job to help them reach the other side.
Finding a drop-off location should not be hard and should cost nothing. In the US, a company called Call2Recycle is a government-run agency that specializes in free battery recycling. They will accept all dry-cell batteries under a weight of 11 pounds.
There are plenty of drop-off points, and can often be found at electronic shops, hardware depots, lawful buildings. All of which can be found on the Call2Recycle website.
And if you would like, you don’t even need to remove the battery from the device that no longer works. Simply recycle the entire item.
These places accept all electronic devices, not just batteries. So it can be highly lucrative to dispose of your items in such a manner. As you can be rewarded with in-store credits or monetary compensation.
But keep in mind, that it is probably a good idea to wipe your devices of data, just in case. Some of these devices are used in a exchange program, so you wouldn’t want somebody else to have access to your data.
Know that by recycling your rechargeable battery – you are providing materials for industries, such as sports equipment, new batteries, silverware, car parts and much more.
Used Batteries Are Not Useful To You, But They Are To Someone Else!
Now that you know of risks and advantages of battery recycling, you can safely assume that whatever method you choose will serve the economy and your well-being.
Used batteries are not useful to you, but they are useful to somebody else.
For example, Cleanlites (That’s us) provides a wide range of battery recycling services that you will find useful for all types of batteries. Such as Lead Acid, EV, Alkaline, Hybrid, NiCad, NiMH and many more.
So keep that in mind. Be kind to others and let the world go round by making this simple change. From trash to put back in use.
Whether you have alkaline batteries or rechargeable batteries – you no longer have to worry about what you have to do with your used batteries. Simply follow the instructions of your local government and you will succeed in environmentally-safe disposal.
In case you need to recycle electronics, read our comprehensive guide on electronics disposal.