|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

What Are Recycled Batteries Used For?

Almost all batteries contain heavy metals and other poisons, including mercury, cadmium, lead and lithium. Viable alternatives that do not use these these materials have yet to be developed, so we are left with the problem of how to dispose of used batteries. Although it takes less energy to mine for the metals used in a battery than it does to recover them from used batteries, recycling is imperative to keep toxins out of the environment.

  1. Lead Acid Batteries

    • Lead acid batteries are commonly used by the automotive industry, and it was this industry that lead the drive for recycling. Currently, around half of all the lead used in new batteries comes from older batteries. Lead acid batteries are used in many kinds of motorized transport including cars, trucks, motorcycles and golf carts. At the end of their life they can be recycled by being ground up and processed to separate out the lead.

    Nickel-Cadmium Batteries

    • Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) batteries are used in commercial aircraft and passenger boats. NiCd batteries are toxic if not processed properly; once the case of the battery degrades, cadmium seeps out to contaminate land and water. It is very hard to clean up cadmium pollution. In Europe, NiCd cells have been banned from consumer products. Cadmium can be safely recovered from NiCd batteries and used to make new batteries. Nickel is used in the metal manufacturing industry.

    Nickel-Metal-Hydride Batteries

    • Nickel-metal-hydride (NiMH) batteries are less toxic than some other kinds. They have largely replaced NiCds in most consumer applications. They contain nickel and an electrolyte, both of which are bad for the environment in large quantities, although you can often dispose of individual batteries in normal garbage relatively safely. NiMH batteries can be recycled for their nickel. Nickel finds use in various high-end metal products, and can be used to make new batteries.

    Lithium Batteries

    • Before recycling lithium batteries, it's important to drain them fully. If there's any charge left it could cause an accident. Lithium batteries containing metallic lithium can be dangerous in landfills, but if recycled the lithium can be reclaimed. The lithium is dissolved, making it non-reactive and safer. After this process it is sold on to other companies, mostly for producing industrial lubricants. Lithium-ion batteries can be recycled, but it's not a very lucrative process as little usable lithium can be recovered.

Environmental Health - Related Articles