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Department of Streets Refuse Division Recycling Program |  |
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Department of Streets Refuse Division Recycling Program | |
Americans purchase more than 3 billion dry-cell batteries each year. While handy, household batteries contain heavy metals such as cadmium, lead, lithium, mercury, nickel, silver and zinc. If improperly disposed of or placed in landfills, these could harm the environment by leaching into surface water or ground water. According to a 1994 Nebraska Cooperative Extension report, "dry cell batteries contribute about 88 percent of the total mercury and 50 percent of the cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream." Long-term exposure to heavy metals can lead to serious health problems. Cadmium can cause lung, circulatory system, or reproductive damage. Mercury can damage the brain, kidneys, or fetuses, as well as cause genetic, neurological, or psychological disorders. Cadmium, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, and zinc have each been linked to cancer, developmental disorders, and immune deficiency. Check the following items in your home to reduce, reuse, or recycle your battery waste: calculators, cameras, video recorders, cassette players/recorders, cellular and cordless phones, clocks, computers, digital cameras, electric toothbrushes, emergency backup lighting/flashlights/lanterns, handheld vacuums, hearing aids, laptop computers, pagers, personal digital assistants, power tools, radios, remote controls, smoke detectors, toys, and watches.
If you are unsure of the type of battery, check for a label. The Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996 requires that rechargeable batteries containing cadmium, lead, and mercury be labeled for recycling. Additionally, this law phased out the use of mercury in batteries. The exception is button batteries which can still contain up to 25mg of mercury. These are also made with silver or lithium, and need to be recycled. Unfortunately, alkaline batteries used in flashlights, remote controls, and other everyday appliances, are not recyclable locally. However, because alkaline and carbon zinc batteries manufactured after 1992 do not contain mercury, they are no longer considered hazardous, so it is safe to dispose of them in the trash. Lack of a label indicates the absence of hazardous materials. If the batteries are not labeled, it is generally safe to throw them away.
You can REDUCE the amount of hazardous waste you generate:
REUSE your batteries. Nearly one in five dry-cell batteries purchased in the United States is rechargeable. Over its useful life, each rechargeable battery may substitute for hundreds of single-use batteries. All rechargeable batteries are recyclable including nickel-cadmium (Ni-CD), nickel metal hydride, lithium ion, and small-sealed lead (Pb) batteries.
RECYCLING keeps heavy metals out of landfills and conserves natural resources because recovered plastics and metals can be used to make new batteries. Button batteries might be taken back by electronics retailers, hearing aid stores, hospitals, jewelers, or pharmacies for recycling, while hardware stores may collect alkaline or carbon batteries. Other options for recycling, while supporting local businesses, include:
Air Link Communications
3533 Hampton Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63139
Phone: (314) 353-2728, Fax: (314) 353-4923,
Web Link: http://www.airlinkdirect.com
Days/Hours: Monday-Friday 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Saturday 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.; Sunday 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Batteries Recycled: nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH).
P.M. Electric Company
5280 Fyler Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63139
Phone: (314) 351-4550
Fax: (314) 353-5860
Days/Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Batteries Recycled: power tool and lawn equipment.
RadioShack 
Web Link: http://www.radioshack.com
Batteries Recycled: nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd).
St. Louis Electronics
4014 Chouteau Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
Phone: (314) 535-3737
Fax: (314) 535-7850
Days/Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Batteries Recycled: lead acid, lithium ion (Li-ion), nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH).
St. Louis Shaver & Appliance
1102 Locust Street, St. Louis, Missouri 63101
Phone: (314) 436-0625
Fax: (314) 436-0625
Web Link: http://www.mrshaver.com
Days/Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Batteries Recycled: shaver, power tool, and phone.
Target
4255 Hampton Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63109
Phone: (314) 481-9100
Web Link: http://www.target.com
Days/Hours: Monday-Saturday 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.; Sunday 8:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Batteries Recycled: lithium ion (Li-ion), nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), and nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH).
Remember to recycle cellular phone batteries at Cingular, Sprint, and Verizon Wireless stores. Also, the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation partners with many national retailers such as Lowe's, Home Depot, Sears, and Target in efforts to collect these batteries for reprocessing. Check for the logo and go to www.rbrc.org to find a location near you.
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This Page Last Modified: Monday, 19-Nov-2007 16:43:42 CST
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