Battery Recycling Tips and Resources

How many times a year do you think you replace the batteries for your TV remote, camera, cell phone, car, kids’ toys, or any other electronic product? I’ll give you a hint: at least 3 billion batteries are sold in the US every year. When you think about it, the numbers can be staggering and unfortunately, most of those batteries end up in landfills.

Some people will claim that because there is a reduced amount of mercury and other heavy metals in batteries today, it’s now okay to toss them in the trash. Don’t listen to those people!

Batteries contain a variety of heavy metals and chemicals, which vary depending on the type of battery. Some of their “ingredients” include: mercury, lead, cadmium, zinc, alkalines, and nickel. All of these are capable of contaminating the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of, even in small amounts. The dangers of improper battery use or disposal include:

• Exposure to strong, corrosive acids may burn the eyes or skin
• Pollution of lakes, streams, and other waterways from metals escaping into the air when burned
• May leach into the soil, groundwater, or surface water of landfills
• Exposes the environment to lead and acid
• Dry cell (AA, AAA, C, etc.) batteries contribute to nearly 88% of the total mercury and 50% of the total cadmium found in the municipal waste stream.

The good news is, most of these dangers can be prevented and avoided. These days, a number of places offer battery recycling or take-back programs. Some places, such as California, require battery recycling by law. And in case you’re wondering: Yes, car batteries can also be recycled.

A number of retail chains will gladly take your used batteries, including: Batteries Plus, Best Buy, The Home Depot, RadioShack, Sears, Staples, Target, and Wal-Mart. In addition to these, you may actually be able to give your “button” batteries (such as those used in watches) to pharmacies or jewelers, who will sell them to companies that reclaim the metals.

Car batteries also have a number of options for recycling. However, I recommend going with the AAA option. Their Battery Service will test, diagnose, and replace batteries on-the-spot, for AAA members. Each time a new battery is installed, they send the old one to the manufacturer to be recycled. In addition to this service, there are more than 5,000 auto service shops that are AAA approved. These shops are environmentally-aware and will ensure that your battery is disposed of properly. Some shops may even pay you for the battery, but you’ll have to find out which on your own.

Now, as far as rechargeable batteries go, some will claim that they can’t be recycled at all. This isn’t true and honestly, I prefer them over regular, non-chargeable batteries; especially considering that you can reuse them dozens of times before they need to be replaced. Speaking of rechargeable batteries, a few years ago, there was an amazing new product created: batteries that you can charge via USB ports! The top portion of the battery flips up and hidden inside is a USB plug, allowing you to charge them anywhere a USB port is available. You can find out more about them here. So far, only AA batteries are available, but they are also working on AAA, 9V, and cell phone batteries!

Aside from recycling batteries, there are 2 other key things you can do to reduce waste:

1.       Before you buy new batteries, search through your home to make sure there aren’t any unused batteries you may have forgotten about.

2.       When possible, buy or use products that require good, old-fashioned man power, rather than relying on batteries all the time. Flashlights with hand cranks are one example. Turning that crank for one minute will power the flashlight for an entire hour and when the light goes out, you won’t have to worry about finding new batteries, because you are the battery.

Now, as for where to recycle the batteries, there are several options. You could always take them to your local hazardous waste plant, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee recycling. However, you can always go to Earth911.com and search their listings to find where you can recycle batteries locally. They also offer some interesting information on single-use batteries and car batteries.

Other sites worth checking out for recycling programs or information include:

• BatteryRecycling.com
• Batteries Plus Recycling Program
• RecycleNow.com
• Think Green From Home
• Call 2 Recycle

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