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BATTERY RECYCLING Why batteries are considered harzardous waste With the popularity of personal and portable electronics including everything from cell phones and flash lights to toys, battery consumption is becoming a part of our everyday life. Approximately 3 billion batteries are sold in the U.S. each year. This staggering figure causes concern as most of these batteries (especially household batteries) are being disposed improperly. In order to convert chemicals to electrical energy, a battery may contain a variety of chemicals like mercury, cadmium, copper, lead, nickel, lithium and manganese. These chemicals, when disposed of improperly, may create the following environmental concerns or hazards including:
Below is the summary of common battery types and uses:
Where to recycle batteries Battery recycling prevents mercury and lead contamination from landfill or incineration by keeping batteries out of standard waste sites. Recycling programs recover the metals from the batteries and either recycle or dispose of the remaining materials. However, the issue of household battery recycling is somewhat controversial. Most battery recycling facilities target button or nickel-cadmium batteries (rechargeable batteries) but will collect batteries of all kinds to avoid confusing consumers. Many of the household batteries collected by recycling programs, typically alkaline batteries, still end up in hazardous waste landfills as there is no efficient process to recycle every type of battery available. However, it is important (and required by California Law) to separate all batteries from household trash to ensure proper disposal (even if not recycled). When burned, some heavy metals like mercury will vaporize into the air or lead may end up in the ash. Under California's Universal Waste Law, it is illegal to dispose of batteries in household trash. Practically speaking though, enforcement and implementation have been less than stellar. In the Bay Area, cities like Mountain View and Palo Alto already have battery pick-up services integrated into the regular garbage or recycling scheduling. Many mid-peninsula cities like Belmont, San Carlos and San Mateo have yet to offer a similar service. It is encouraging that South Bayside Waste Management Authority is starting a pilot battery and cell phone recycling program in the city of San Carlos. If successful, this program will be rolled out to the Authority's entire service area. However, until curbside battery recycling is widely available, it is left up to individual or neighborhood initiatives to promote proper battery disposal. Contact your municipal waste management vendor for more battery recycling information or use the list below to find battery recycling locations in the Bay Area: Alameda County: http://stopwaste.org/home/index.asp?page=293& How to prevent battery waste Because not all types of batteries can be recycled, here are some tips on preventing household battery waste:
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