Battery Disposal ? How to Do it Safely

Posted by Sophia Addison on October 20th, 2016

It is a common concern today: e-waste. It seems that e-waste is a growing problem that has only just been getting the public attention it needs. This is why it is so important to educate yourself and those you know about how to safely dispose of unwanted devices. Some devices, like mobile phones and old desktop computers can be disposed of by handing them over to special disposal collection units. Many offices and even households have begun to do this, but one of the most widely used objects is commonly forgotten – the battery. It is very important to know about the different types that you might have in your home and how to dispose of them safely. Here are some tips.

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Know the Laws

Local laws and regulations will largely define how you should be disposing of any gadget. Rather than dropping off your old gadgets with even a single battery or cell inside, take them out and check with your local municipality on how they should be disposed. For instance, you may be doing right by the environment with all those rechargeable Duracell batteries you buy. But even those do need to be replaced after a certain amount of usage, and you may not have known that you must dispose of them differently to other types. Those rechargeable cells should go with hazardous waste.

Those cuboid ones (common 9 volts) that are used for fire alarms are actually potential fire hazards when disposed of improperly! They should be covered on the top and bottom with electrical or duct tape. Find out what your local laws are about different types of wet and dry cells and how you should be disposing of them without causing damage to the environment or people.

Common Disposal Rules

Some different types of cells that are commonly used around the house have a few standard methods of disposal. For example, button-shaped ones should go to hazardous waste units. This is the kind of battery that your grandparents or parents might use in a hearing aid. These contain a hazardous chemical solution that may leak if they are not correctly thrown away.

If you want to get rid of that old lithium or lithium-ion battery from your phone, that should go to a special battery-recycling centre. These kinds of cells are not hazardous. Lead-acid and nickel-cadmium cells can go to either a recycling centre or a household hazardous waste collection unit. Lead-acid batteries that are used in vehicles contain a very hazardous, corrosive substance. For this reason, it is best to give these back to the retailer or a metal recycler. They should not end up at a landfill by any means.

If you contact your local municipality, you can learn more about disposal classifications. Depending on the type of chemicals found in your batteries, it may be more or less toxic and unsafe to dispose of with other types of waste. Know what types you are throwing away and how they are supposed to be handled. This way you will be able to avoid harming the environment and perhaps even yourself.