How Do I Dispose of Old Batteries?
There’s this overwhelming sense of guilt that washes over me when I throw something in the trash that probably shouldn’t be there, especially when it comes to e-waste. Can broken headphones be recycled? What should I do with old laptop chargers? And what should I do with all these dead batteries that have accumulated in my apartment?
Consumer Reports addressed the thorny issue of battery and waste disposal this week. Batteries pose a huge environmental hazard when they end up in landfills, given the amount of toxic chemicals they can contain, including lithium, lead and sulfuric acid. All of these could potentially pollute waterways and eventually end up in our drinking water.
In California, batteries are considered hazardous waste when they are thrown into the trash can and must instead be recycled or sent to a hazardous waste disposal facility. But some batteries are worse than others – for example, your standard dual AA battery won’t do much damage when compared to the potential waste of a car battery.
In any case, it is important to remember that some batteries are more recyclable than others.
Rechargeable batteries often contain heavy metals and are more hazardous than disposable batteries; Accordingly, many manufacturers are required by law to fund battery recycling programs. Disposable alkaline batteries, like the ones in your remote, can be more difficult to dispose of because there simply isn’t a well-funded program to deal with them.
To find a dealer near you who can accept rechargeable or disposable batteries, you can use the Call 2 Recycle locator . Major retailers like Home Depot , Lowe’s, and Staples also accept rechargeable batteries (and generally cell phones), and you often have baskets to throw them in.
If you can’t find a place to recycle disposable batteries, your best bet is to throw them in the trash can (unless you live in California!).
Until the mid-90s, throwing them in the trash could have been blasphemy, since they were still made from mercury. This was banned in 1996, and now most disposable batteries are made from ” safer ” non-heavy metals. According to Consumer Reports , when disposing of a battery in the trash, you need to stick a piece of tape over the contacts to reduce the overall risk of fire.
For things like car batteries, the first step is to check with your local auto parts store to see if they’ll accept them. For example, Advance Auto Parts stores accept most car batteries free of charge. For any other battery types, you can also use the Earth 911 locator for the nearest object.
And if you’re wondering, old batteries aren’t always replaced with new ones . Nickel can be recycled into golf clubs or silverware, and the lye in disposable batteries can be used on asphalt – so your old remote control batteries can serve a more important purpose than just switching channels.