Though few know why, most people know better than to throw away household batteries via the normal route of disposal. Being crammed full of hazardous materials, nasty chemicals, and environmentally toxic wastes, when batteries are thrown in the household trash exposes the environment and your community to possible hazards. Today, we at Mickey’s Carting would like to discuss the importance of disposing of your batteries correctly and explore the more appropriate ways to dispose them.
What are Possible Battery Hazards?
A number of deadly and toxic wastes make up batteries. Such chemicals and toxins include:
– Potassium
– Mercury
– Manganese
– Lithium
– Lead
– Cadmium
Designed for common goods such as recyclables, food, and common waste is your household trash. Inadequate for the toxic wastes that are present in batteries are the disposal methods used by these avenues. You expose the land, people, water supplies, and your community to these dangerous materials by using your common garbage service in the wrong manner.
How to Properly Dispose of Batteries
When they are disposed of correctly, batteries go through a special recycling process. Allowing the liquid toxins to leak out of them, batteries are placed into a hammer mill, which smashes the batteries. Swept away and disposed of separately from the toxins is the metal. With the help of gravity and science, the toxins are placed in a containment in which they separate themselves out. In an environmentally friendly way according to its type, each individual toxin is then disposed of.
How are Batteries Recycled?
In order to make the disposal of batteries easy, there are a few services used in communities that help.
Battery Bank: A drop box of some sort that is placed in high traffic areas within your community is a battery bank. Common places to find a battery bank include community centers, supermarkets, and recreation centers. You can generally get help to identify these locations with your community website.
Request a Battery Bag: While recycling batteries, a battery bag is a specially designed container used to mark, draw attention to, and prevent contamination. The use of properly marked zip lock bags are allowed with some communities. In order to properly dispose of batteries, it is important to take the necessary steps. You are responsible for protecting the environment by doing this. For the future generations who will come after us, these actions positively impact the health of the world and provide a safe environment.
Automobile Batteries: Eventually, both lead-acid batteries and nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries used for hybrid vehicles wear down and need replacing. Once you get a new one, getting rid of an old car battery is not quite as simple as throwing the old one away in the trash. Irresponsibly throwing a car battery in a trashcan or dumpster could subject you to serious fines or penalties because of the environmental health consequences. Be sure you properly dispose of these batteries as well.
Waste Management & More in Amagansett, Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Cutchogue, East Hampton, East Hampton North, Greenport, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Montauk, Nassau Point, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, Springs, Wading River, Westhampton Beach in East End of Long Island, New York
Mickey’s Carting is your leading expert for residential garbage disposal services, just be sure not dispose of hazardous batteries.