Power-up green initiatives with battery recycling
By Metro Creative Connection

Batteries have become the lifeblood of modern-day society. These miniature powerhouses are the key to providing portable, convenient power for the myriad of electronic items we rely on daily. But batteries can come at a cost to the environment. If not properly disposed of or recycled they can prove dangerous — leaching heavy metals and contaminants into the soil and groundwater, resulting in a number of negative side effects for both the environment and individual health, possibly including autism.

Cordless phones, remote controls, flashlights, gaming systems, mobile phones, children’s toys — the list of items powered by alkaline or rechargeable batteries continues to grow. Batteries are even working in ways the average person may not witness. During a power outage, phone lines still operate because they are equipped with batteries. Batteries also help control power fluctuations, run commuter trains and provide back-up power for critical needs like hospitals and military operations.

Easy to trash, but we shouldn’t

Batteries provide many advantages and everyday conveniences. However, it’s the way they are disposed of that poses problems. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, each year more than three billion batteries are thrown away by American households. In a typical year, disposed AA batteries alone, placed end to end, would circle the earth six times.

“Since 2007 the state of California has banned the dumping of alkaline batteries in landfills with other municipalities soon to follow,” says Steve Stark, general manager of the Green Electronics Division of Perf Go Green Holdings Inc. “Our goal is to make a difference by leading the fight in reducing battery-dumping in our landfills.”

Batteries, while generally inexpensive and easy to buy, can be inconvenient and expensive to dispose of properly. Consumers may spend as much as $50 for a pail to recycle dead alkaline batteries. Generally people want to recycle batteries in the right way, they just don’t want to pay to do it. According to a 2005 survey of telephone respondents in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, nine out of 10 people said they would be encouraged to recycle their batteries if they were collected from their home.

When spent batteries are dumped into landfills they can have extremely negative effects on the planet, as well as the life that it supports. Rechargeable batteries contain heavy metals such as nickel, cadmium, cobalt, mercury, and lead, which can leach out of landfills into the air, ground, and water. Single-use alkaline batteries, deemed safer for disposal, still may contain trace amounts of mercury. They also are composed of corrosive acids that can eat through many materials, and if burned can explode and release toxic fumes into the air.

Cadmium can cause lung damage, kidney disease, and death, while lead can damage the kidneys, nervous system, and reproductive system, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Some doctors and autism experts say that environmental mercury in water and soil may be one contributor to the rise in autism cases in recent years.

Recycling is the answer

Recycling or discarding of batteries in the proper manner, meaning using a reputable company that guarantees safe recycling methods, is the only way to ensure harmful batteries do not end up in landfills. However, because up until now there have been no widespread recycling programs, currently only 2 percent of batteries are recycled.

To reduce the health implications and environmental effects of batteries, recycling is necessary. For more information on recycling initiatives, visit www.irecycled.com .