|  | Public Health Safety | Environmental Health

How to Recycle Nickel Cadmium Batteries

Advances in battery technology have made many activities previously done by hand or limited by the reach of an electrical cord more portable than ever before. But the batteries commonly used include toxins like nickel and cadmium. Those toxic components are in the batteries of cell phones, power tools, laptops and many other electronics. Recycling keeps those toxins out of the environment. Recycling batteries is easy for the consumer as you can drop them off at many recycling locations. Businesses can also recycle the batteries they use and increase foot traffic by participating in battery recycling programs.

Things You'll Need

  • Collection bins
Show More

Instructions

  1. Personal Battery Recycling

    • 1

      Gather up your used nickle cadmium rechargeable batteries such as those in cordless and mobile phones, laptops, toys, power tools and certain flashlights.

    • 2

      Test batteries to ensure they are fully depleted. Make sure chargers are plugged in and operating properly and connection points are free of dirt. Proper recharging and storage can extend the life of the battery much longer and put off recycling.

    • 3

      Use a cool and dry place to store expired batteries. Keep batteries away from direct sunlight and away from sources of heat. Make sure the batteries are not corroded or leaking.

    • 4

      Check if the manufacturer or retail store you bought the device from recycles batteries. Some manufacturers have offered discounts on the purchase of new batteries when you recycle old ones.

    • 5

      Find local battery collection locations by contacting the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation at its website or by calling 1-800-8-BATTERY.

    • 6

      Take your expired batteries to the drop-off location and deposit them in the collection bins.

    Business and Retail Recycling

    • 7

      Contact battery collection groups like the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) about joining their collection programs.

    • 8

      Fill out the application and review all literature that tells how to handle batteries and responsibilities expected of your business.

    • 9

      Get collection bins and make shipping arrangements. Groups like the RBRC offer free collection bins and reimbursement on the shipping costs.

    • 10

      Set up collection bins where employees and the public can access them. Public bins should be displayed prominently. If you are a retail establishment, consider offering sales incentives for people who recycle batteries at your location.

    • 11

      Remove bins when full and ship in containers provided by the program. Review safe packaging procedures and ship the batteries to the recycling center.

    • 12

      Notify the program to receive reimbursement. Some programs have prepaid packaging available that might suit your needs and do not require reimbursement.

Environmental Health - Related Articles