Batteries
The average UK household uses 21 batteries per year, and approximately 22,000 spent batteries are needlessly sent to landfill each year (equivalent to the weight of 110 Jumbo Jets). The energy needed to manufacture a battery is on average 50 times greater than the energy it gives out.
Laptops, toys, mobile phones and calculators are just some of the everyday items that need batteries to function. All batteries are manufactured incorporating one or more toxic heavy metals, such as nickel cadmium, alkaline, mercury, nickel metal hydride and lead acid, and it is these materials that can harm the environment if not properly disposed of. As batteries corrode they disgorge their toxic chemical components into the soil, which can ultimately poison surrounding land and watercourses.
It is now possible to recycle household (non-lead acid) batteries, including batteries from toys, electrical appliances, phones, calculators etc which might contain the following: Nickel Cadmium, Nickel Metal Hydride, Lithium, Lithium Ion, Silver Oxide, Zinc Carbon and Mercury Oxide.
The following link also has some useful battery recycling information:
Many battery operated products such as digital cameras, MP3 players and games consoles incorporate rechargable batteries which are integral to the appliance or toy. In most cases the instruction manuals will provide you with details of how to recycle the battery and obtain a replacement when it is no longer rechargeable.
Return hearing aid batteries to hospitals.
All of the permanent Household Waste Recycling Sites accept normal household batteries for recycling, there are special dedicated containers on site. Please check with site staff if you cannot locate the collection containers.
Last Updated : Thursday, November 18, 2010 (16:07)
Copyright and Policy
