Thank you to @sherbear98 for this month’s burning question! Their question, “Can I throw away batteries? Some packages say you can but I have also heard it is toxic” prompted us to do some further research to see what can be disposed of safely on our campus and at home.
To answer their question right off the bat, the only batteries acceptable to place in a trash bin as a last resort are single-use alkaline and zinc-carbon. These are common batteries seen in sizes like AA, AAA, and 9V which are used in a variety of devices from television remotes to calculators. All other batteries should be recycled or disposed of responsible through a proper authority.
The reason it’s important to recycle batteries is because they contain metals and chemicals that are detrimental to human and environmental health. Mercury, lead, cadmium, nickel, and silver are common elements found in batteries which pose a threat to ecology. In addition to the health component of battery recycling, there’s also a material recovery component that creates a secondary market for critical minerals for production in new goods instead of extracting virgin minerals.
We also have a Hard2Recycle initiative on campus supported by BlueStar Recycling which provides disposal services for electronic waste such as old charging cords, batteries, hardware pieces, etc.! We hope this helps you know which batteries can be disposed of responsibly. Thank you for your question!
