Batteries are a critical part of powering our everyday life, and we rarely ever give them a second thought. However, if not properly disposed, batteries can pose dangers such as water pollution and fire hazards. Thankfully there are convenient options to safely dispose of and recycle batteries.
Prince William County residents, can bring various types of household batteries and lead acid automotive batteries to the landfill or the Balls Ford Road Compost Facility every day during operating hours. In 2017 alone, Prince William County recycled more than 2.5 million pounds of batteries.
Scott McDonald, the Solid Waste Division recycling program manager, said it’s important to properly dispose of batteries. Instead of placing them in your regular recycling bin, you take them to a special place for proper handling.
Batteries are found all over our homes in our clocks, remote controls, toys, keys, cordless tools and our electronic devices such as phones and computers. These batteries come in many different chemistry types including alkaline, silver-oxide, nickel, metal-hydride, lead-acid, nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion, and zinc-carbon which can be harmful to the environment. When thrown in the normal rubbish, batteries decay in landfill sites and could leak into the groundwater, which could pollute soil and water in the community.
In addition to preventing pollution, properly recycling batteries conserves landfill space and it also saves metals and minerals that can be repurposed into new products. Proper battery preparation for recycling is essential to prevent fires while in transit, since batteries rubbing together create the risk of sparks and combustion putting waste management employees in danger.
“When recycling rechargeable and single-use batteries it is important to remember to tape the terminals or place each battery in a separate plastic bag. This may sounds like a lot of work, but it only needs to be done for batteries that are rated 9 volts or greater,” McDonald said, “You should never place batteries in your curbside recycling bin because doing so can result in a fire in the collection vehicle or at the processing facility.”
In addition to the two county facilities, a number of retail outlets also make battery recycling convenient for certain types of batteries. Home Depot, Lowe’s, Best Buy, Staples, or battery specialty stores like Batteries Plus and Interstate Battery all have recycling programs. Mom’s Organic Market has an extensive recycling center that accepts a wide range of battery types. Earth 911 and Call2Recycle are other great resources, with websites that help families locate a battery recycling drop off point nearby, and provides battery recycling mail program options.
For more information on how to recycle in Prince William County, visit www. pwcgov.org/trashandrecycling.