Do you have an old lithium-ion battery from a computer, a power tool, an appliance, or another electronic that you need to recycle? If so, you might not know the first thing about trying to recycle batteries.
Sadly, you’re not alone. A recent report revealed that only about 5% of these types of batteries end up getting recycled in the right way. People will often toss old batteries in the trash without even thinking about recycling batteries first.
Getting rid of batteries that can no longer be used like this is terrible for the environment. It also prevents recycled batteries from being utilized again.
If you aren’t sure how to recycle batteries, you should take the time to learn how to do it. It’ll ensure that you dispose of old batteries properly from here on out.
Here is a guide on how to recycle lithium-ion batteries.
See If You Can Leave Old Batteries Out for Recycling
More often than not, you won’t be able to simply leave old batteries out with the rest of your recyclable items on recycling day in your city. But there are some cities that have started to offer people the opportunity to recycle batteries in this way.
It would be worth checking to see if you can recycle batteries like this. It’ll be the simplest way for you to recycle batteries without having to put in too much effort on your part.
Just make sure you follow any rules and regulations that have been put into place in your city with regard to recycling batteries. You might need to place them into special packaging and/or label them correctly to have them collected.
Find Out If Your City Collects Old Batteries
Your city probably isn’t going to let you stick old batteries out on the curb on recycling day. There will be too much risk that’ll come along with you doing this since it could lead to batteries getting mixed up with other recyclable items.
But your city might have a special program set up that’ll allow you to bring old batteries to a collection spot once every month or two. It’ll be another very simple way for you to recycle batteries without having to expend too much energy.
Get in touch with your city officials to see if there is some kind of collection program like this established. If not, they might be more inclined to look into introducing one after hearing you and others ask for it.
Bring Old Batteries to a Local Recycling Center
If your city doesn’t provide you with any help when you ask them how to recycle batteries, the next thing you can do is consider bringing them to a local recycling center. There are sure to be at least a few recycling centers in your general area.
You should explore the recycling centers in your area and contact each one to see if they can assist you with your old batteries. They might have special boxes set up where you can drop these batteries off so that they can be recycled.
This option will require you to put in a little more work when you go to recycle batteries. But at the same time, it shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience to you, and you’ll be happy to hear that there is a place in your area where you can bring old batteries from now on.
Take Old Batteries to a Store That Accepts Them
Quite a few retail stores have started to accept old batteries from those who would like to recycle them. Places like Home Depot and Lowe’s have started to offer free battery recycling programs for those who aren’t sure where to bring them.
There is a pretty good chance you’re patronizing at least a few stores that accept old batteries already. Why not bring your old batteries along with you when you visit these stores so that you can have them recycled?
Many of these stores sell electronics that rely on rechargeable batteries, so they’re doing their part to stop those batteries from landing in landfills. You can help them out by providing them with any old batteries you don’t need anymore.
Consider Shredding Old Batteries Yourself
If you’re simply a consumer trying to get rid of old batteries you don’t need, investing in a battery shredder won’t make a lot of sense. But if you own a company that is constantly trying to figure out ways to recycle batteries, you might want to think about purchasing a great battery shredder.
This battery shredder will make it so simple for your company to recycle batteries. All you’ll need to do is stick your batteries into it, and it’ll take care of the rest. A battery shredder will be a worthwhile investment for any company that utilizes its fair share of batteries each year.
Recycle Batteries to Do Your Part for the Planet
Some people don’t recycle batteries because they’re simply too lazy to do it. But the vast majority of those who don’t recycle them don’t do it because they aren’t sure how.
Now that you know what your options will be when you’d like to recycle batteries, you should choose the best one and run with it. It’ll enable you to recycle batteries so that they don’t end up getting stuck in landfills in the near future.
Would you like to discover more steps you can take to help the planet? Find out about them by reading through more of our articles.
