What To Do With Those Batteries

I am on vacation and have not been writing many blog entries lately and need to catch up, so lets start with what we can do about dry-cell battery disposal/recycling.

First lets cover what dry-cell batteries are, they include alkaline and carbon zinc (9-volt, D, C, AA, AAA), mercuric-oxide (button, some cylindrical and rectangular), silver-oxide and zinc-air (button), and lithium (9-volt, C, AA, coin, button, rechargeable).

There are two types of batteries:
1.  Primary — those that can not be reused
2.  Secondary also known as “rechargeable” — those that can be reused.

Primary batteries include alkaline/manganese, carbon-zinc, mercuric-oxide, zinc-air, silver-oxide, and other types of button batteries. Secondary batteries (rechargeable) include lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, and potentially nickel-hydrogen.

Next, lets talk about some potential problems or hazards with throwing away your batteries in your household garbage.

1. When burned, they pollute the lakes and streams as heavy metals vaporize into the air.
2. Heavy metals leaking from old batteries into the Earth.
3. Exposing the environment to more lead and acid.
4. Containing strong corrosive acids.
5. May cause burns to your eyes and skin.

In landfills, heavy metals have the potential to leak slowly into Earth’s soil, groundwater or surface water. Dry cell batteries contribute about 88 percent of the total mercury and 50 percent of the cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream. In the past, batteries accounted for nearly half of the mercury used in the United States and over half of the mercury and cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream. When burned, some heavy metals such as mercury may vaporize and escape into the air, and cadmium and lead may end up in the ash.

Here are some tips to reduce battery waste, starting with prevention, which create less potentially hazardous waste from seeping into our Earth.

1. First, whenever possible, buy hand operated, solar powered, kinetic powered, water powered, wind powered, potato powered :] items that function without batteries. If that is not an option, I feel as though plug operated is better for the environment than buying heavy metal laden batteries.
2. If you need batteries buy rechargeable batteries, but remember that they also contain heavy metals such as nickel-cadmium, so it is still a problem, but less of one than non-rechargeable batteries.
3. Look for the batteries that contain less mercury and heavy metals than others.
4. Lastly, if batteries are your only option, before buying more check to see if you already have some at home.

We must keep in mind, that yes, rechargeable batteries result in a longer life span and use of fewer batteries. However, rechargeable batteries still contain heavy metals such as nickel-cadmium. The use of rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries can reduce the number of batteries entering the waste stream, but may increase the amount of heavy metals entering unless they are more effectively recycled. As of 1992, the percentage of cadmium in nickel-cadmium batteries was higher than the percentage of mercury in alkaline batteries, so substitution might only replace one heavy metal for another, and rechargeable batteries do use energy resources in recharging. When disposing of rechargeable batteries, recycle. [Source: ESHO]

Here is a great link to Call-2-Recycle, whom I wrote about in my fourth TDAAIT entry, back in January! All you need to do is put in your zip code and they will tell you where to take your recyclable batteries (and old cell phones).

If you did not find a place through Call-2-Recycle for your rechargeable batteries, you can always bring them to any of these locations to recycle:

In the US: Alltel, Batteries Plus, Best Buy, Black & Decker, Cingular Wireless, The Home Depot, Milwaukee Electric Tool, Orchard Supply, Porter Cable Service Center, RadioShack, Remington Product Company, Sears, Staples, Target, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Wal-Mart.

If you are in Canada: Battery Plus, Bell Mobility, Canadian Tire, FIDO/Microcell, Future Shop, The Home Depot, Home Hardware, London Drugs, Makita Factory Service Centers, Personal Edge/Centre du Rasoir, RadioShack Canada, Revy, Sasktel, Sears, The Sony Store, Telus Mobility and Zellers.

There are not a lot of places that recycle non-rechargeable (typically “alkaline batteries”) that I could find. The best bet is to go to Earth 911 and put in their search feature, “alkaline batteries” and the zip code where you live. I know in NYC we have places for New York residents (only) to take alkaline batteries, maybe you do to!!!

One day I hope we no longer need batteries.

:]

-Cara

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Friday’s Green Shop

It’s Friday, which means it is time for green shopping ideas and alternatives to unsustainable consumerism. :) Yay!

First, let’s start with the Rust Belt company. Rust Belt is a collaborative work of two designers, Anna Bario, of Field & Fountain, and Page Neal, of F190 [there isn’t a web site yet, at least not one I could find]. It is a line of casual jewelry that is crafted from re-purposed materials [like salvaged metals and chains] using low-impact, environmentally conscious practices. The designers launched Rust Belt with a concern for “working in an industry of luxury built on mining and refining systems that have enormously negative environmental & social impacts.” Bario and Neal came together to create the Alluvial collection. I bought the Oji Ring from the Alluvial collection for Marine and my one year anniversary and love the one-size-fits-all, textured sterling silver double band. It is just so beautiful and bright. I love not only the ring, but the packaging and concept. Nice work ladies!!!

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Next, my new favorite bag…flip & tumble. I got one today and love it. The picture above is what the bag looks like open and here is what mine looks like when I’m not using it…

It is easy to throw in my other bag, to have whenever I need it. It is a delight as it weighs nothing. It is also really easy to ball back up, which is important. To watch a video on how it all works, click here. I’ll see how it takes to weight, but so far so good [again I have only used it once and had it less than 24 hours. :D].

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Lastly are products I have not used yet, but seems cool. They are Rechargeable Atmosphere Bowls and Vases, which allows you to control 7 color combinations to change at random or to be set at a particular color. Only three hours on the included smart charger will provide a decorative and fun glow to an area for up to 8 – 10 hours continuously. Each bowl and vase is dishwasher safe and includes an environmentally friendly Ni-Mh AA battery.

Why they are Green…

* Reduces the use of non-renewable resources
* Utilizes LED lights
* Smart charger prevents overcharging and wasted electricity

Groovy…

-Cara

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Reason 14 from, 101 Reasons Why I Am Vegetarian:

Livestock production is responsible for 18 percent of greenhouse gas emissions measured in CO2 equivalent, a share 38 percent higher than that emitted by all the world’s vehicles. Domesticated animals worldwide are the source of 37 percent of all human-induced methane, with most of that coming from intestinal fermentation of ruminants. They also are the source of 65 percent of human-induced nitrous oxide, the great majority from manure. Methane and nitrous oxide are exceedingly more potent greenhouse gases than carbon dioxide. Livestock are also behind almost two-thirds of all human-induced ammonia emissions, which contribute significantly to acidification of ecosystems.