Why it is so important to recycle every battery

May 2, 2008
by Ellen Rothschild

Batteries can be found in many things you use in your everyday life. They are in your TV remote control, your cell phone, and so many more items. They are a vital part of our ever-growing portable lifestyle.

Approximately three billion batteries are sold annually in just the United States. That’s an average of 32 batteries per household, or about ten batteries per person. In addition to that, it is estimated that more than 350 million rechargeable batteries are purchased each year in the United States. These numbers will only continue to increase as technology develops more uses for batteries.

One has to wonder: what happens to all these batteries?

Batteries contain a variety of toxic heavy metals including nickel, cadmium, alkaline, mercury, lead, nickel metal hydride and lead acid. All of these can be harmful to the environment if batteries are not handled or discarded properly. If the batteries end up in landfills, the heavy metals can leak out into the soil, groundwater or surface water. These pollutants find their way into lakes and streams, contaminate the surrounding watersheds and end up in our food chains and drinking water resources.

If the batteries are incinerated, some of the heavy metals they contain, such as mercury, lead and cadmium, will vaporize and be released into the air. This polluted air will in turn descend to the earth to pollute the lakes and streams in the area of incineration, as well as, anywhere the wind blows.

The best way to prevent this damage is to keep batteries out of landfills and incinerators in the first place. With the recycling alternatives available, it is simple to do this.

State and local efforts to encourage safe battery disposal

In New York State, battery-recycling laws, called “Take-Back Legislation,” regulate the disposal of batteries in order to prevent the dispersal of hazardous materials into the ecosystem. At the state level, regulations are in place that mandate no-cost consumer returns to encourage residents to recycle their batteries; retailer or producer take-back of products that have been or are being sold and consumer education about new laws and take-back programs from manufacturers and retailers.

In December 2006, specific legislation prohibiting the disposal of rechargeable batteries in regular waste collection went into effect in New York City. Retailers in the city are now required to accept up to ten batteries per day from their customers for recycling, bear the cost of collecting and recycling the batteries and post signage in their stores to inform customers about battery collection and recycling.

Westchester County passed a law in June 2006, Local Law 702, which specifically targets the disposal of cell phones and their batteries and mandates that old cell phones be taken to a department of environmental facilities-certified collection site. The legislation imposes a fine of up to $250 on residents who violate the disposal ban. For more information and drop-off locations, visit Westchester County’s Community Guide to Household Hazardous Waste Disposal site at http://www.nyas.org/programs/harbor/westchester.pdf.

New Castle efforts to encourage safe battery disposal

Chappaqua is known for its great recycling program, which includes a place for proper battery disposal. The town’s recycling center, located on Hunts Lane, has a variety of bins used to collect specialty items to be recycled. Two of these bins have been dedicated to the recycling of batteries. They are labeled, “Household Batteries” and “Cell Phones” and they can be found right next to the entrance gate. The center’s hours of operation are Monday to Friday, 7:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Old cell phone batteries contribute about 88% of all the mercury and 50% of the total amount of cadmium found in the municipal solid waste stream. The more batteries that are recycled, the fewer toxins will be introduced into the environment. When you recycle your batteries you are also helping to save resources. The recovered plastics and metals can be used to make new batteries. Recycling the components of lead-acid batteries is one of the most successful recycling stories of our lifetime. More than 98% of all the lead and plastic is recycled.

The simple act of recycling your used batteries will make a difference to the environment.

Ellen Rothschild is an eighth grader at Bell Middle School who, under the supervision of her eighth grade science teacher, Annie Madden, is a science reporter for NewCastleNOW.org.