Choosing Your Recycling Program

Posted on: 2 July 2020

Old batteries should not just be thrown in the trash or into your regular recycling bin. Old batteries, from a simple AA battery to your old laptop battery, are considered hazardous waste and must be dealt with in a specific manner in order to ensure the battery is safely recycled. How you handle the battery depends on the type of battery you are dealing with.

Battery Type #1: Button-Style Batteries

First, there are button-style batteries. These are small batteries that are usually found in electronics. You may find a button-style battery inside of your watch, for example. These tiny batteries usually contain hazardous substances. You should find out where a collection point is for hazardous materials in your area for these tiny and powerful batteries.

Battery Type #2: Single-Use Battery

Second, there are single-use batteries. These are the types of batteries that you more than likely will work with the most. These include things such as big D and C batteries, as well as AA and AAA batteries, in addition to 9V batteries.

With these types of batteries, you can just put them in your trash or your regular recycling bin. You should take a piece of tape and place the tape over the terminals. Placing tape over the terminals will keep the batteries in the trash from short-circuiting when they encounter one another.

Battery Type #3: Rechargeable Battery

Rechargeable batteries need to be handled a little differently than single-use batteries. Rechargeable batteries are great because they reduce the number of batteries that are throw away every year.

However, rechargeable batteries do not last forever, and often must be disposed of. They are hazardous and should be recycled at a battery collection point. Some electronic stores offer battery collection points, and most garbage collection and recycling companies do as well.

Battery Type #4: Single-Use Long-Lasting Lithium Battery

Lithium batteries are popular because they are long-lasting, and they can hold a lot of power. Lithium batteries, often noted as just LI batteries, are often found in electronic devices.

A camera or a video recorder are two types of devices that may contain a lithium battery. With a lithium battery, you can put it in the trash, or you can recycle them at a recycling center.

When it comes to disposing of batteries, you can throw away single-use batteries in the trash. With all other batteries, you should find a battery collection location near you, like Asset Recycling & Recovery, LLC, in order to ensure the batteries are properly recycled and taken care of.