Battery Recycling 101
Batteries have allowed us to cut the cord on our power tools and take them anywhere the job demands. Unfortunately, those batteries will eventually wear down and no longer hold a charge. Then you’ll need to replace them.
We stock hundreds of new batteries for your power tools on our website, so chances are we have the replacement you need. Just use our power tool parts finder to find the right battery for your power tools. While our website makes finding the replacement a breeze, there is still the problem of what to do with the old battery.
The following article addresses the whats, hows, and whys of correct battery disposal, and will also help you find a recycling center for any type of battery you may have.
Why Recycle?
There are countless reasons to recycle an old battery, including the laws set in place to protect the environment. About 10 billion wet and dry cell batteries are purchased–and in turn, disposed of–by Americans every year. These batteries contain chemicals that are extremely harmful to our environment, including mercury, lead, zinc, alkalines, manganese, cadmium, and silver. Until 1996 there weren’t many formal laws stopping you from just tossin’ the old batteries in the trash. In 1996 the EPA instituted the “Battery Act” law to reduce the amount of hazardous chemicals that went into our landfills. The act required the following:
- The battery label must have “three chasing arrows” to signify batteries that MUST be recycled;
- The phasing out of mercury-based batteries;
- Products include easy-to-remove batteries to help facilitate recycling.
When you recycle your old battery, the recycling center can process and re-use more than half of the materials–including chemicals–for the production of new batteries.
The bottom line is that you should use whatever motivation you need to dispose of your old batteries. It’s easy to do and well worth the trouble. Keep reading to learn more about what batteries you should recycle, and where to do it.
What to recycle
If your battery was made before 1997 then you will need to dispose of it properly, no matter the type. Some batteries you can trash, others must be recycled.
All wet cell batteries (automotive) must be disposed of properly according to your state laws. Many states require a deposit that will be charged if you do not bring in your old battery for a recycle trade. You can get this deposit refunded as long as you bring back your old battery to the same store. Click here to find out more about your State’s waste regulations.
- Wet Cell Batteries (lead-acid): Contain a liquid electrolyte which are used in cars, boats, or motorcycles.
Most Dry cell batteries will also need to be recycled. Our power tool batteries will fit into this category. The only exception to this rule is disposable batteries that I will talk about in the next section.
- Dry Cell Batteries: Lead acid gel, lithium, lithium-ion (li-ion), mercury, nickel-cadmium, nickel metal hydride (NiMH) silver oxide, zinc air.
What to trash
There are outlets to properly dispose of any type of battery you may have. If you have the proper resources or time you should always try to recycle your battery. However, we understand that this may not always be an option and have listed the types of batteries that you can simply trash below:
Jamie McCall
- AAAs
- AAs
- 9 Volts
- Cs, Ds
- And any other type of ‘single use’ battery.
How to recycle
There are hundreds of designated battery recycling centers across the United States. For example, stores such as Walmart and O’Reilly Auto Parts will accept old wet-cell (automotive) batteries.
You can also use the internet to find the recycling center closest to you. My favorite resource is a website called Earth911. Their website allows you to find recycling centers in your area based on the type of product you would like to dispose of. In my experience, it’s worth giving the recycling center a call before you go in to avoid any complications.
At this point you should have no problems figuring out what to do with your old batteries, regardless of what you might have laying around. The Environmental Protection Agency continues simplifying the process of recycling batteries–and recycling a wet-cell battery can net you a nice discount on the new one. With these instructions, you’ll find that you can replace and recycle batteries without running afoul of the law or the environment.
