Batteries power a number of household items from cellphones, remote controls, flashlights, and cameras. While it’s tempting to throw used batteries in the trash, it’s highly discouraged as it can be detrimental to the environment. Between remotes, Bluetooth mice, and my external camera flash, we go through a ton of batteries. Americans buy almost 3 billion dry-cell batteries per year to power common household items (EPA). Imagine how many of those end up in landfills?
How to Recycle Batteries
Batteries that are disposed of in landfills can leach into the soil, contaminating groundwater. The same holds true for automotive batteries, which contain lead and acid. There are two main types of batteries; dry-cell and wet-cell batteries. Dry-cell batteries are your typical household batteries and those found in watches. Many retailers and municipal sites offer to take them. You can visit Earth911 to find local recycling centers. Wet-cell batteries are batteries used in vehicles and boats and can be recycled at retailers that carry car batteries.
9-Volt Battery Safety Tip
9-Volt batteries can be a fire hazard. As a safety precaution, keep 9-Volt batteries away from other metal objects (often found in junk drawers) and cover the terminals of the batteries with electrical tape or plastic battery covers.
I hope this post saves tons of batteries from going into landfills. Next week, I’ll be talking about how we reuse items as a way to prevent waste. Have a great weekend!
While SC Johnson is the sponsor of the 30 Green Days Challenge, all opinions and comments within this post are my own.
Christine
Monday 23rd of November 2015
It was a little depressing to find out that there are no recycling sites even in my state- none of the stores near me take them either.