Super Eco

Photo credit: SXC

You probably threw away nine batteries last year. Don't worry; you're not alone in that. We all did, at least on average. As a culture we go through batteries like crazy. But household batteries contain heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, and nickel, which can contaminate the environment when they're not disposed of properly. So no more tossing them in the trash, 'k? Here's what you can do instead, and it's easier than you think:

1. Buy fewer batteries.

This sounds like a no-brainer, right? Fewer batteries purchased means fewer batteries thrown in the bin. So when you can, use rechargeable batteries; Americans throw out about 180,000 tons of batteries every year, and only 14,000 of those are rechargeable. Rechargeable batteries last longer and can be recycled free through the Call2Recycle program at the end of their usable lives (search on your zip code for a location near you—there are over 50,000 across the U.S. and Canada).

2. Know your batteries.

a. Alkaline.  Because these ubiquitous batteries were mandated in 1997 to be formulated using less mercury, many landfills will accept them. But they're still full of potassium hydroxide, which can cause severe chemical burns if the batteries leak. So what's that doing to the soil underneath landfills when they leach out? Your guess is as good as mine. Better to recycle them. Problem is, many municipalities and local recyclers won't take them any longer because they contain less mercury. You'll have to check with your local Household Hazardous Waste coordinator, an arm of your local waste collection service. Many offer special collection days for items like these.

b. Lithium-manganese. These are the familiar button batteries in watches as well as short fat cylinders in cameras, video games, and electric toothbrushes. The lithium can be recovered and reused, so these batteries are recyclable.

c. Silver oxide. This is a smaller button battery found in watches, pagers, hearing aids, and calculators. They are recyclable.

d. Lead acid. This is the battery in your car. They are considered hazardous waste and should be properly disposed of; most places that sell them also take them back, sometimes for a small fee.

e. Sealed lead acid. This is a rechargeable battery found in video cameras, power tools, wheel chairs, clocks, ATVs, and cameras. Dispose of them here.

3. Find out where to recycle batteries near you here; often it's places that sell them like RadioShack, Office Depot, etc, but recycling policies will vary by location.

Have a lot of batteries of all types laying around? You may be the perfect candidate for the iRecycle kit, a postage prepaid box that holds about a year's worth of household  batteries. Just collect them until the box is full and send it prepaid to be properly recycled. At $24 it's a small price to pay for knowing you're not adding toxicants to the landfills and that hazardous materials are either being reused or disposed of safely.