Tips for disposing of old batteries

To somebody who grew up during the 80s and 90s it is just unbelievable how wireless today’s world is. Laptop on which this text is written is connected to the Internet without wires. That internet can be beamed through the air by satellites and provide information with incredible speeds to our smartphones. Furthermore, those smartphones are hundreds upon thousands of times stronger than the computers from just two decades ago, and also require no wires, sitting comfortably in our hands… How do we do it? Batteries. This world is run by batteries. And, like all things that are in heavy use, a healthy and natural question one should pose is how should you go on about disposing of old batteries?

Many people will simply say you can’t throw them away. That it is not good in any possible case… And we get it, if you don’t want to look into it, it is the safest of options. However, it is at the same time completely not true. You can and should throw away some batteries, while others are completely on the opposite side of the spectrum, being illegal to throw away. 

How should you discern from the two? By learning different types of batteries, of course!

Learn of the different types of batteries

Before you call upon junk removal Westborough services and have your used up or damaged batteries are thrown away, you should learn different types of batteries. Now, we are not talking about the difference by use. Definitely not. This is for the simple reason that there is just too many uses for batteries. From the smaller than a nickel, like batteries for your fancy wristwatch you keep for special occasions, and passing an external battery powering your phone while you are on travel, all the way to the batteries powering electric cars that are making ever more impressive distances.

Therefore, we will go along a lot more practical categorization. This one is also easier to learn. It simply distinguishes batteries between:

1. Single-use batteries – batteries that cannot be recharged in any way. The only way to get use from them whatsoever again is to have them recycled.
2. Rechargeable batteries – Like phone, car and laptop batteries. Those are rechargeable hundreds of thousands of times over (depending on the battery itself):

But what does this mean for your options? Well, depending on what you have of your hands, disposing of batteries can go one of these three ways:

• Disposing of old batteries by throwing them away, if it’s possible, not damaging and legal for the particular battery.
• Recycling them, for either no cost or a small fee, depending on the battery.
• Donating them to some causes. You will see what we mean further down the post.

So, which one goes for which option? Well, we are glad you asked!

Disposing of old batteries

After you decided you are going to be moving to Massachusetts you now want to dispose of old batteries… Ok, yea, maybe that is not the exact reason but it works for the thing we want to explain here.

You have a lot of old batteries just laying around the place and you wish not to take them with you. Either they are useless (forever empty), damaged or simple you see no reason to keep them, having not used them in a while.

The way you dispose of these old batteries will be dependent on the particular kind of battery they are.

Single-use

While you are waiting for movers Auburn MA to come you realize that your tv remote is not working properly. You try to fix it by try and tested the technique of hitting it repeatedly but it fails to achieve any results. Frustrated, you open up the remote and find that your rechargeable batteries have lost all of their power. What do you do now? Well, if you are thinking of some complicated procedure, you can relax. Actually. in most of the world (California being the old ball here – doesn’t allow any batteries to be treated this way), you can throw them out without second thought. 

The thing with these batteries is that the materials in them are not actually toxic or damaging in the long run. Tossing them away, despite common belief, will not be a point against nature and for pollution. However, just because you can throw them away doesn’t mean you have to. You have a lot better option on the table. Recycle them! Now, with single-use batteries, this might cost you a penny but you would be doing nature a favor (and get a useful battery). How so? Well, as long as you recycle, companies can retrieve some of the materials back and use them again, decreasing the need for new mining operations. With mining being a dirty industry that it is, why not help it grow out of fashion with small steps? Think globally and act locally!

Rechargeable

A much better option to power… well – anything! Seriously. That phone you just checked reviews for movers Shrewsbury MA, obviously rechargeable. Laptop? Rechargeable. Car?… you get it. Everything that is something is reachable. And, ordinary batteries for everyday objects can be too. But with their greater use, there is also a need for more education on their disposal.

You can’t just throw them away. They contain heavy metals that are damaging to the environment. They have to be recycled. Luckily, there are many facilities that will do so for free. This will also be useful for them too!

Donate

Finally, if you seek no money, why not donate them. There are government instructions on electronics donation and recycling. Disposing of old batteries is a small victory in a fight for a more eco-friendly world!

In Conclusion

If you are going to be disposing of old batteries, do it right. Donate or recycle them. That way you know you did nothing wrong to the environment we all live in, and as a plus side, you helped out faze out the need for new raw materials!