Why Should I Recycle Alkaline Batteries?
I am often asked this question when I speak to businesses,
municipalities and counties regarding battery recycling. I'm told that alkaline
batteries are just fine to dump in the trash, that alkaline batteries don't
contain mercury any longer, that the government says it's safe to throw in the
trash, etc. Why then SHOULD we recycle alkaline? "Different types of
batteries are made up of different components, but all batteries have three
things in common: they are all non-biodegradable, contain heavy metals and
contain electrolytes that can contaminate ground water. Used battery waste is
far worse for the environment than paper, plastic and glass, yet for some
reason batteries are recycled with much less frequency. There are a couple
reasons for this disparity.
The first reason why alkaline batteries are not recycled at
greater rates is because of the costs associated with recycling them. At some
point the word "recycle" became associated with "free" but
unfortunately that's not always the case. Unlike paper, plastic and glass,
which are typically free to recycle, batteries are more complex and contain
many different types of materials. In order to recycle alkaline batteries they
must first be broken down into three separate materials: a zinc/manganese
mixture, a paper/plastic mixture and steel. Once those three materials are
separated from each other they can then be reused for anything from medicines
to fertilizers to construction materials. Recycling batteries can also reduce
carbon footprints by reusing materials that would otherwise need to be mined
from the earth."*
The second reason batteries are not recycled as much as they
should is also the reason for this newsletter: there exists a general lack of
awareness surrounding the issues concerned in single use battery recycling.
That's why I'm asked the questions at the start of this newsletter and one of
the big reasons for this newsletter. There are many state and local governments
that don't have the budget to recycle alkaline batteries so their answer is to
landfill them. As landfills are reaching capacity, and governments look for
answers, filling them with potentially harmful material is definitely not the
solution. The European Union enacted laws to make it illegal to throw away
alkaline batteries, as has the state of California,
and for good reason.
Summary of Reasons to
Recycle Alkaline Batteries
All batteries
contain substances which are harmful to the environment. When batteries are
incinerated, the metals they contain pollute the atmosphere and the
incineration residues. When batteries end up in landfills, the metals can leach
into the soil and water.
All batteries
contain metals which are recyclable, so collecting and recycling all batteries
help save resources. Experience shows
that if all battery chemistries are collected and recycled, efficiency is
greater and more batteries of all
chemistries are collected. It's discouraging and confusing to consumers when
recyclers will accept only one kind of battery and not others. I'd like to keep
this newsletter informative and entertaining and, as much as possible,
advertising free. However, please allow me to pitch our service briefly and
give you the solution to the dilemma of recycling alkaline. All Battery Sales
and Service has strived to make the recycling of every type of battery --
including rechargeable and lead acid batteries -- both affordable and more
importantly, easy. We have spent years developing and refining our
comprehensive recycling process that re-uses every component of the waste
battery. We are the most affordable service in Northwest
Washington for recycling alkaline and our program is very simple
to implement. If you currently recycle alkaline batteries I'd like to thank you
and I hope I've given you more good reasons to recycle alkaline batteries. If
you don't recycle alkaline I'd like to
ask you, "Why do you throw batteries in the trash?"
Thank you for taking the time to read this and please direct
any questions, comments, compliments or complaints to me: Jack Bradbury
Recycling Coordinator All Battery Sales & Service (425)743-7677
* Justin Jungman/ Battery
Solutions, January 13, 2011
excerpted from 1-800-recycling.com
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This is a reprint of
the newsletter I write for All Battery Sales and Service. If you’d like
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jack@allbatterysalesandservice.com
