Batteries are a common commodity, used in almost every house and often in large quantities. This also means that massive quantities of batteries must be disposed of. Therefore, homeowners and businesspeople should try and make sure we get rid of our batteries in an eco-friendly manner. However, not everyone is fully aware of how to dispose of batteries properly.

Why it matters
Proper disposal of batteries is essential for protecting the environment. When batteries are not disposed of correctly, they can leak some of the toxic chemicals that they contain. These chemicals can get into the soil and water, damaging ecosystems or contaminating drinking supplies. Plus, batteries generally contain flammable materials, meaning they may catch fire or even explode when exposed to high temperatures or damage.

What steps should you take to dispose of batteries correctly?
There are a number of steps that you should take to ensure that you are safely disposing of used batteries. Here are the essentials to ensure you’re doing the right thing.

Find a recycling point
There are designated battery bins at local recycling centres, but you can also find them in supermarkets and libraries. A recycling locator tool will help you find the point nearest to you.

Store batteries safely
You may prefer to wait until you have a few batteries before you recycle them. You should ensure any batteries, even used ones, are stored somewhere cool, dry and away from heat. This way, you can ensure they won’t ignite.

Recycle the right way
Not all batteries can be recycled in the same way. Regular alkaline batteries, for example, are suitable for taking to a local recycling centre but lithium-ion batteries need special facilities.

Remove batteries from broken devices
If you have a broken battery-powered device that you want to get rid of, remember to remove the batteries first, as they need to be recycled separately at a battery recycling point.

Follow any local rules
Recycling rules can vary from one location to another, so be careful to make sure you are following the rules where you are based correctly. Your local council should have recycling and disposal information on their website that you can access.

Use fewer single use batteries
If you want to ensure that you are generating a smaller number of used batteries you could consider making the change to using rechargeable batteries.

Charged correctly and used carefully in accordance with their instructions, rechargeable batteries can last for roughly the same length of time as 400 disposable batteries. That is a significant amount of waste that can be avoided with just one simple step.

Whether you choose to switch to reusable or prefer single-use, you can make changes to ensure you’re not making a significant impact on the environment.