Batteries have become an American staple for such things like appliances, toys, electronics, and so many other things we have grown fond of in our lives. “Fond of” is almost an understatement when it comes to some of the things that take batteries that we have almost become dependent on. So many of the household batteries that we use are able to be thrown into the trash and, ultimately, the landfill.
People are using more and more household batteries. The average person owns about two button batteries, ten normal (A, AA, AAA, C, D, 9V, etc.) batteries, and throws out about eight household batteries per year. “About three billion batteries are sold annually in the U.S. averaging about 32 per family or ten per person.
A battery is an electrochemical device with the ability to convert chemical energy to electrical energy to provide power to electronic devices. Batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when batteries are improperly disposed of. Batteries may produce the following potential problems or hazards:
- Pollute the lakes and streams as the metals vaporize into the air when burned.
- Contribute to heavy metals that potentially may leach from solid waste landfills.
- Expose the environment and water to lead and acid.
- Contain strong corrosive acids.
- May cause burns or danger to eyes and skin.
In the past, batteries accounted for nearly half of the mercury used in the United States and over half of the mercury and cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream.”
According to current laws and standards, most household sizes and quantities of household batteries are able to be thrown into the regular trash, regardless of the potential hazards associated with it.
For more information on trash and recycling visit www.wasteawaygroup.com.
ehso.com
so what should we do with dead household batteries?
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