"Batteries are the most dramatic object. Other objects they stop working or they break, but batteries...they die"- Demetri Martin
Batteries are a lot like light bulbs for me. I am always a little uncertain what to do with them when they die. Is there a way to recycle them? Is the only option throwing them in the trash? Time to find out the best thing to do with spent batteries and also whether there is a more sustainable option to the regular alkaline batteries I have been purchasing.
Much like light bulbs what to do with a battery after it has lost its charge depends on the type of battery in question.
Types of Batteries that are safe to throw in the Trash:
Single- use Alkaline batteries, the batteries most commonly used around the house, are now made of metals not deemed hazardous and can be disposed of with normal household waste in all states except California. In California, it is illegal to throw away all types of batteries.
While single- use alkaline batteries are safe to dispose of in the trash there are options to recycle these types of batteries but they are hard to come by because the metal that can be recycled from them is not very valuable so it costs more than can be earned from recycling these batteries. Never the less I felt it was worth doing a little research to see if I could find anywhere to recycle this type of battery. I started by checking out my local recycling program. My curbside recycling program doesn’t accept batteries and the link to more information about what type of batteries could be dropped off for recycling was broken so that seemed to be a dead end for the time being. Two tools that were recommended by Energizer’s website to find where to dispose of batteries where Earth911 and Call2Recycle so I decided to give those a go.
I tried Earth911 first. I was not a huge fan of this site. I was using it on my mobile device and there were so many pop up ads it was difficult to actually get the information I was trying to from the page without being exasperated from trying to close ads over and over. This being said once I made it to the search engine the results the website provided were helpful. I did try this also on my computer and found the experience much more enjoyable. If you’d like to use this site, I would recommend using your computer. There are a lot less ads on this version which makes it easier to navigate. Through Earth911 I found Hellocycle, a mail in subscription recycling service. For residential services it costs $12 for one box a month or $20 for just one box period. This company recycles other hard to recycle items such as CDs, CFL light bulbs, phones and small electronics, and inkjet cartridges if you are thinking it would take you a lifetime to fill a box with alkaline batteries alone. This was the cheapest recycling option I could find for recycling alkaline batteries.
Call2Recycle’s website I found a lot easier to use. There were less ads so I was able to get to the search engine much quicker. This website only tells you where call2recycle boxes are located however and these boxes only accept rechargeable batteries, watch batteries, and cellphones.
Types of Batteries that MUST be recycled:
· Single-use button batteries like those found in watches
· Rechargeable batteries
· Car batteries
· Cell Phone Batteries
· Computer Batteries
· Emergency Lighting Batteries
I’d recommend using Call2Recycle to find a place to recycle cell phone batteries, rechargeable batteries, or watch batteries. There were a ton of drop off locations in my city. There are also mail in services out there but all of the ones I found had a cost. A number of states have passed legislation requiring companies who sell rechargeable batteries to also provide recycling so the place where you bought these kinds of batteries may offer recycling.
Due to the high value of car batteries many auto retailers and service centers accept used car batteries for recycling.
Batteriesplus accepts car batteries, emergency lighting batteries, cell phone batteries, rechargeable batteries, and laptop batteries.
Tips for Before Recycling:
Old batteries may not generate enough energy to power a device but could still spark a fire if not handled properly
· Tape the ends of batteries
· Store them in a non- metal container that keeps them lined up side by side so that contact points can’t touch each other or brush up against something that’s metallic or conductive. A good way to do this is to reuse the original packaging.
Since it is so difficult to recycle single use alkaline batteries should we switch to rechargeable batteries? Rechargeable batteries can be recharged many times. They are more expensive initially but the upfront costs are quickly recovered. Even though the heavy metals used in these batteries keeps them from being safe to dispose with household waste there are numerous free recycling programs. As long as you are responsible about recycling rechargeable batteries this seems like the most sustainable choice because it would keep a number of batteries out of the land fill.
When searching for rechargeable batteries some of the factors to consider are the energy capacity, rechargeability, and your budget. In my case, I decided that what I was most concerned with was rechargeability. I selected the Panasonic Eneloops (about $13 for pack of 4) because they should be able to be recharged about 2100 times. I wanted to find a charger that would charge different sized batteries so that I would only need one. So even though it is more expensive than some of the other chargers the Maha’s PowerEx Charger seems like a good choice if you use a lot of different types of batteries. It can charge 8 different types of batteries at once, AA, AAA , C, or D. Personally, I really only use AA and AAA batteries so i opted for the Panasonic charger as well. This charger charges 4 batteries at once AA or AAA batteries.
I hope this helps you better understand the lifecycle of batteries. Let me know if you’d like for me to provide a review on how the rechargeable battery products I chose work out.
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