As technology uses continues to increase, batteries have become a necessity in different operations. Unfortunately, battery landfills have rendered the need to find sustainable ways of manufacturing and disposing them. Batteries contain hazardous heavy metals- mercury and zinc, which pose a great danger to the environment if improperly disposed. That is why it has become critical to recycle them.
Battery recycling involves responsible and safe disposal of batteries once they reach end of their life cycle. It includes collecting sorting, treating and recovering of usable materials. While it can be tempting to throw away used batteries, understand the importance of recycling them. This blog will discuss several benefits of battery recycling.
It is Law
A good benefit of recycling your batteries is that the law requires you to do so. The battery directive regulates how businesses and individuals dispose and recycle their used batteries. You could get in trouble and held in violation of the law of you do not dispose of used or damaged batteries properly.
According to the directive, you have a duty to recycle used or defective batteries since some contain chemicals hazardous to the environment. If you do not adhere to the regulations, you face huge fine. Therefore, the benefit of complying with the law is definitely one to consider.
You Can Get Money
Did you know you can get paid from recycling batteries? Whether and individual or business, batteries are part of life. From mobile phones to alarm, trucks, cars, electric equipment, it is almost impossible to have something that does not need a battery. Think about the number of batteries you use every year. From the look of it, recycling batteries offers a smart way of reducing costs and increasing your profit margins.
Used batteries can be trash to you, but to recyclers and scrapyards, it could be a valuable item. In fact, some are willing to pay cash for the old batteries. How much you get paid depends on the quantity and type of batteries. So, next time before you throw the batteries away, think of where you can sell them for money.
Reduces the Use of Raw Materials
Part of environmental sustainability is reduce the manufacture of products. When battery materials are properly recycled, they do not pose any danger. Manufacturers utilize raw materials like lead, lithium, cobalt, nickel, etc. Unfortunately, they are non-renewable and expensive. The increased necessity of batteries means more demand for these materials. On the other hand, recycling batteries means you conserve the resources by reducing their demand for production.
Reduces Hazardous Materials in Landfills
As mentioned, batteries contain materials that might harm the environment. For instance, batteries like lithium-based, nickel-cadmium and lead-acid are outright dangerous when left exposed. Think about what happens when such batteries are in landfills. They corrode and start to leak chemicals into the soil. These chemicals could also find their way into the ocean. Recycling help avoid these hazardous materials from ending up in a landfill.
Promotes Reuse of Materials to Produce New Batteries
The good news is that materials used to make batteries are almost infinitely recyclable. That means they are put in good use every time a battery reaches the end of its life span. The raw materials are extracted and taken to manufacturing companies for reuse. As a result, it saves resources and reduces pollution.
A Take Home Message
Clearly, recycling batteries comes with many benefits. Whether make cash or want to make an impact to the environment, recycling old and defective batteries is a good move.
