Do You TRASH Batteries?
Written by Ellen Van Velsor > August 19, 2022
Millions of batteries are tossed in the trash each year. That’s often the easiest thing to do and many of us do it without thinking. Or, if we do stop to consider whether it is a wise thing to do, we can quickly toss them in the trash anyway, given a reluctance to take the time to find somewhere convenient to store them until you have enough to make a trip to the hazardous waste facility worth the time and effort. I have been through all this myself and have (in the past) made the exact wrong decision!
So let me tell you why it is so important to refrain from tossing out used, dead batteries. Like most e-waste (electronic products at the end of their life), batteries contain hazardous, corrosive and toxic chemicals like mercury, cadmium, lithium, and lead. When dumped in landfills, they decay and leak these toxic chemicals into the soil and into groundwater, as well as surface water. This, of course, has negative health effects on humans, as well as on both plants and animals that come into contact with that soil & water. Tossing away lithium batteries can be doubly dangerous because their instability in landfills can cause fires which then release the toxins into the air we breathe and polluting lakes and streams as it falls as a component of rain. As may be clear by now, when batteries end up in landfills, the cost to health is significant. The corrosive acids can cause burns to skin and eyes. Nickel and cadmium, two minerals found in batteries, are known carcinogens and are particularly dangerous when they become part of our air and water. Although mercury was banned in batteries almost 20 years ago, lead has been linked to developmental and neurological damage in children.
While all of this is true, the demand and need for batteries is ever increasing. We all carry electronics that are battery powered. From button cell or coin batteries for key fobs, toys or watches to cylinder shaped household type AAA-D batteries, to even larger, more powerful batteries that power generators, cars, and the like, battery disposal is and will be an important issue to address.
Starting in September, our Care 4 Creation team will provide members of our congregation an easy way to dispose of spent household batteries, as suggested to us by church members. There will be receptacles near the church office and the entryway to the Fellowship Hall so that you can drop your used batteries there on your way into church services on Sunday or when you visit the church for other activities. The receptacles are labled, so will be easy to recognize. Our Care 4 Creation team members will collect those monthly and deliver them to the hazardous waste facility. We hope this makes it easier for everyone to help with our creation care ministry. Contact Ellen Van Velsor (ellenvanvelsor@gmail.com ) with questions or to join our team!