how do you recycle batteries
how do you recycle batteries
how do you recycle batteries
The one and only proper way of recycling lithium-ion batteries The only safest way of recycling lithium-ion batteries is by having them processed by a certified electronics and electrical recycler. There are a number of options to recycle loose or contained Li-ion batteries, including dropping off at the Kane County Recycle Center, at any one of the drop-off locations listed below, and through Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) programs.
Batteries are considered household hazardous waste, and must be disposed of appropriately through the Hazardous Waste Facility Drop-Off Program, unless there is any type of shop-back or community battery recycling program near you.
How a given battery must be safely disposed or recycled depends on its chemical composition (i.e. If the battery, or electronic devices that include batteries, are placed in a garbage can or placed into a municipal recycling container along with home recyclables like plastic, paper, or glass, they can be damaged or crushed during transportation or by handling and sorting machinery, creating a fire risk. Li-ion batteries, or batteries contained within electronic devices, should thus be recycled by certified battery electronics recyclers that accept batteries, instead of being discarded in the trash or placed in municipal recycling bins. Lithium-based lead batteries should not be placed in household garbage or recycling.
Bring batteries to certified recyclers that can safely handle hazardous materials that may be present. These batteries can blow up or burn if improperly handled, and they have caused frequent fires on garbage trucks and in recycling facilities. Alkaline batteries may be placed in trash, but others should be recycled or handled as general waste. While households are not required to recycle batteries, placing non-alkaline batteries in trash or curbside recycling carts/bins may be hazardous for garbage collectors, recycling facilities, solid waste transfer stations, and landfills due to the possibility that batteries will ignite, particularly when damaged by machinery.
If storing batteries for recycling, you can reduce the fire risk by covering the ends of batteries with clear packing tape, or placing each battery into an individual plastic bag, then placing the batteries into a leakproof, non-metal container with a lid, like a plastic bucket. Send individual batteries to specialty battery recyclers or retailers participating in recycling services, or contact your local solid waste or household hazardous waste program for additional options. You can recycle your lead-acid batteries in vehicles and other motorized devices, like lawn mowers, anywhere those batteries are sold.
Today, conventional lead-acid batteries, like those found in gasoline-powered cars, are relatively easy to recycle. Today, it is possible to recycle car batteries made from lithium, which is a better way of minimising mining for new raw materials, however, these are not nearly as easy to recycle as the more traditional lead-acid batteries typically found in cars. Ironically, taking controversial elements such as cobalt out of a battery makes the process a lot less profitable for companies recycling lithium car batteries. No current recycling technology exists that can make clean enough lithium to be used for another time in batteries.
Looking at the longer-term, while today we do have uses for recycled battery materials, it is really difficult to know what use current supplies of lithium cells will have once their life spans are over. Lithium-ion batteries are not quite as advanced as their lead-acid counterparts, and the current recycling process is far more complicated. If they are not put through proper recycling processes, metals such as cobalt and nickel could leach into the soil and lead to contamination of the groundwater. Other types of batteries are not so cheap to recycle, nor are they returned so easily like lead-acid batteries.
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