Battery Recycling - Where Can You Recycle and What Must You Recycle?

Battery Recycling    
Improperly disposed batteries may produce the following potential problems or hazards: pollute lakes and streams as the metals vaporize into the air when burned, contribute hazardous heavy metals that infiltrate our water supply, expose the environment and water to lead and acid, contain strong corrosive acids, cause burns or danger to eyes and skin.  All of these are a high cost to individuals and society.

An excellent website that gives recycling information for all types of batteries and many other recyclable items is http://earth911.com/. Not only does this website provide information on specific products, it provides locations near your home where you can take your recyclable items. 

Each of us can make a difference and collectively we can change the world for the better. 

Alkaline Batteries
Mercury has been the major concern with alkaline batteries, but in 1996 Federal law changed for regular alkaline batteries requiring that they contain no mercury.  IL EPA apparently agrees that alkaline batteries are not very toxic, because they do not contain mercury.  Most people, including disposal companies, assume that after 16 years the mercury batteries have worked their way out of the system and it is okay to put them trash.  However, it is still much better to recycle these single-use, alkaline batteries.  In 2010 battery manufacturers, Rayovac, Panasonic, Duracell and Energizer committed to a nationwide program aimed at improving the recycling of household batteries.  Together, these four companies launched the non-profit Corporation for Battery Recycling (CBR) that has studied how to improve the recycling of batteries in the United States so that it is both environmentally sound and cost-effective.  Although some places no longer collect these single-use, alkaline batteries, local Walgreens Drug stores and the COM2 Recycling Solutions Collection Center, 87 W 61st St., Westmont, IL 60559 [(630) 434-1250] still collect and recycle these batteries as well as many other batteries.

Rechargeable batteries
All rechargeable batteries are considered toxic.  They contain mercury, lead, lithium, silver, cadmium and other metals that are hazardous to the environment and humans.  All of these should be disposed through recycling channels to minimize the effect on the environment and humans.  Local Walgreens Drug stores and the COM2 Recycling Solutions Collection Center mentioned in the preceding paragraph collect and recycle these batteries. 

Lead Acid Batteries - Automotive and Non-automotive
Nearly 99 million wet-cell, lead-acid car batteries are manufactured each year.  A typical lead-acid battery contains 60 to 80 percent recycled lead and plastic.  It is vital that we recycle these batteries so that the hazardous lead does not enter the environment.  Home Depot, Advance Auto Parts, O'Reilly Auto Parts and other auto parts stores collect and recycle these batteries.  
With the increase in hybrid vehicles, Toyota has started hybrid battery recycling program.  While traditional vehicles use lead-acid batteries, hybrid cars typically also incorporate a separate nickel metal hydride or Lithium-ion  battery to generate electric power.

In addition to the website http://earth911.com/, the below websites provide excellent information on battery recycling, including types of batteries that are not mentioned in this article. 
(1) http://www.batteryrecycling.com/
(2) http://www.batteryrecycling.com/battery+recycling+process
(3) http://www.batteriesplus.com/t-metro-chicago.aspx?its=googleadwords&campaign=chicago&adgroup=services&keyword=battery%20recycling
(4) http://www.call2recycle.org/
(5) http://illinoispoisoncenter.org/ipc_media/pdf/RecyclingHP.pdf