How to dispose of batteries?
There are plenty of places for them to be properly disposed of. See how to dispose of portable batteries
If the creation of electric energy represented a revolution that made possible a series of advances for life in society, cells and batteries brought portable electric energy. These small energy sources provide many everyday practicalities: they improve the lives of deaf people who use batteries in their hearing aids and enable the use of cell phones, for example.
There are several models of cells and batteries, but the cells are practically the same as the batteries, what makes them different is that the batteries are formed by groups of cells in series or in parallel.
In general, each model has advantages and disadvantages in relation to its use and environmental impacts, but none of them should be disposed of in common waste, even if the municipality collects it. Check out:
Leclanche pile
It is the most common of disposable batteries and cells. They leak and contain mercury, lead and cadmium, which can pose serious risks to the environment.
Alkaline battery
This type of battery leaks less and is free of mercury, lead and cadmium. However, they are not free from being polluting and must be destined for recycling.
Lithium battery
Lithium/manganese dioxide batteries are dangerous as they can cause flames. They should not be thrown in common trash, especially in damp places, as moisture is the main trigger for flames in this item.
lead battery
The problem involving these batteries is that the recovery method most used by companies is the pyrometallurgical method, instead of the electrohydrometallurgical method, which ends up contaminating the atmosphere with sulfur oxides (SOx) and particulate lead.
Nickel/cadmium battery
Like leclanché batteries, nickel/cadmium batteries contain cadmium, a significant environmental contaminant.
Metal Hydride/Nickel Oxide Batteries
Due to the environmental problem (cadmium) generated in nickel/cadmium batteries, metal hydride/nickel oxide batteries emerged. As they do not have cadmium, they have a lower environmental impact, but they should still be recycled.
Li-ion battery
Lithium-ion batteries pose less of an environmental risk than cadmium batteries, but should also be disposed of for recycling.
The "fake" stack
This type includes so-called pirate batteries (rechargeable or not), which do not have the necessary certificates for the correct production of the items. They are cheaper, but can cause serious inconveniences, such as less capacity to store energy; occurrence of frequent leaks; shorter lifespan and health risk due to greater possibility of exposure to heavy metals.
How to discard?
To dispose of cells and batteries, it is necessary, first of all, to store the cells and/or batteries without mixing them with other types of materials, just wrapping them in resistant plastic to avoid contact with moisture in order to avoid leakage.
After packed, check which are the collection points closest to your home or place of work. And remember: even if Brazilian legislation (Art.33 of the National Solid Waste Policy) obliges the manufacturing company to structure and implement reverse logistics systems, you are also responsible for correct disposal, so contribute to a less polluted world and have a lighter footprint by separating your cells and batteries and sending them to recycling plants.
Consult our materials to know how cells and batteries are recycled and which are the best cells and batteries for your use.
