Does anybody actually know what the proper way to dispose of batteries is?
Battery packages always tell you to "Please dispose of batteries properly," but they never actually tell you what that proper way is.
I mean, I assume that putting them in the garbage disposal of your sink or flushing them down the toilet or eating them are all fairly improper places to dispose of them, but what about the trash can? Is that wrong? Does anybody throw them anywhere other than the trash? And are the rest of us going to be arrested for improper disposal of old batteries?
F, H & S Part Two Continued Again
3 years ago
8 comments:
If trowing them in the trash can gives the police the right to arrest some, then well I guess I'll be arrested too. I just throw my old batteries in the garabage. I do know that throwing them in the fire is also not a good idea.
The key is the world PLEASE
That means they are asking and not telling.
Which means its voluntary.
So if you want to throw in your trashcan or your disposal, go for it!
Nice! LOL
Batteries use a variety of fairly nasty chemicals, particularly heavy metals. Disposing of a battery with your household trash means that it will be deposited in a standard landfill. There, it will be crushed and left to rot, and which point all of those chemicals will begin to leach into the soil and water nearby. Standard landfills can handle a limited amount of "unauthorized" material being disposed in them, but the key word is "Limited." Even trace amounts can still leach into soil and eventually groundwater surrounding the landfill, which means they'll eventually end up being consumed by plants, animals, and eventually me and you. This is a bad idea, even in small quantities. :-)
So, what should you do with batteries? It depends a bit on where you are, but nearly every city and town will have collection or dropoff sites for hazardous materials like batteries. Many electronics stores will accept used batteries, as will some city offices. Even towns that don't have Waste Transfer Stations often have annual or twice-annual citywide cleanups where you can turn in batteries, as well as other materials like paint, oil, and cleaning chemicals. From there, they'll dispose of the chemicals in specially-designed landfills that are safer for hazardous materials, or they'll recycle them if they can, and put them to use in the next generation of batteries.
So, will you immediately die if you throw a battery in the trash? Of course not. But I would still encourage you to just make a bag or a box for used batteries, and when it fills up, take it to one of the places I mentioned above. Yeah, it's a bit more work, but it'll save a *lot* in the long run if people properly dispose of things with hazardous chemicals inside.
Yes, I am Hazardous Materials Cleanup certified, why do you ask? :-)
Wow!!! A real answer!
I thought there had to be one, but I honestly didn't know if anyone actually knew it!
Thanks Nate!
My local grocery store has a bin for discarding used batteries.
My problem isn't knowing what to do with them, it's remembering to take them with me to the store!
Hey I don't know about you guys, but I found this quite insightful!
I think I'll do a random question like that on a regular basis. So if you have something that you've been wondering about, post it and we'll try to get some answers to some of these burning questions!
Well, since the serious answer was given I'll just say that if you eat them wouldn't you still be flushing them down the toilet at some point?
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