Disposal of Batteries

Billions of batteries are used every day.  These range from the small button batteries that are used in hearing aids, calculators, greeting cards, pens and remote controls to the large lead-acid batteries that are found in motor vehicles. Batteries that are not disposed of properly can be harmful to us and to the environment. The safe disposal of batteries is therefore very important.

Small button batteries can be swallowed by small children and can have devastating effects. If swallowed, the smaller batteries may quickly pass through the digestive system and may not be harmful.  The larger lithium button batteries may get stuck in the esophagus and the body fluids may act as an electrolyte for the batteries.  The result of this is that current flows through the fluids causing chemical reactions that produce strong alkaline compounds.  These compounds can cause severe burns to the esophagus and in some cases result in death.

 In theory, used batteries should be recycled.  This does not happen in reality, however, as most of the used batteries end up into our landfills. When these batteries end up in our landfills, the metals and chemicals that are found in them can leach into the soil and into our water supply. Most of the chemicals released are toxic and can enter our food chain resulting in serious effects on humans such as damage to the central nervous system, especially in children, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Many cities, municipalities and some townships offer recycling programs that accept household waste including batteries.  In addition, some retailers that sell batteries provide recycling facilities for their customers.

 This video shows the initiative taken by some retailers and advice on how you may recycle some batteries.

http://www.5min.com/Video/How-to-Recycle-Batteries-61995495

In the US, there are no known facilities that recycle all types of household batteries in a practical and cost efficient way.  The result is that most of the batteries that are collected from households end up in waste landfills. This is probably true for other countries including Canada.

References

http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/batteries.php . viewed Feb.2, 2012
http://millsea.hubpages.com/hub/Where-to-recycle-batteries   . viewed Feb 2, 2012.