Recycle those old car batteries
We live in a recyclable world now. Glass, plastic, metal, paper, oil… the list goes on. I did wonder about what people could do with a corrosive, dud car battery. But you know what? You can recycle these too.
New Zealand’s AA Battery Service is involved with recycling used car batteries, and Bill Keane, General Manager of AA Battery Service, stated that “More than 97 % of a battery is able to be recycled. After every replacement by our mobile battery patrols, we send the used batteries to professional battery recyclers. Almost all the components – plastic casing, acid and lead – are recycled to reduce the environment impact.”
Recycling car batteries helps to reduce the amount of hazardous landfill waste. There are plenty of landfill sites across Australia. You’ve probably got one near to where you live. It is better if we can avoid the large build up of waste over the coming decades. At the www.ephc.gov.au website, you’ll find the low down on the Australian government’s plans and policies regarding waste products and landfills. One of their aims is to help national companies and small businesses to operate effectively and efficiently and manage waste products and waste materials responsibly during and at end of their useful life.
A car’s battery is able to recharge itself so that it can power the starter motor, the lights, the electronic gadgetry and the ignition system for the engine. These batteries are often called SLI batteries, and they have a lead and acid mix in their chemical make-up. SLI batteries are huge environmental polluters.
Hybrid powered cars use battery power alongside fossil fuels to power their cars. The hybrid batteries are a nickel metal hydride make-up, and their toxicity levels and environmental impact are considered to be much than SLI batteries. However, you still have to use natural resources up to produce a car battery.
Whether you are in business or involved with doing your own maintenance on your car at home, the best way to dispose of your car batteries is to pop them at your local refuse station in the recycling section specially catered toward receiving old dud car batteries. Another benefit of recycling a used car battery is that mining for materials to replace that car battery dumped into the landfill is stopped. Certainly, the recycling of car batteries reduces this environmental impact.
If you’re not sure where to go with you old car battery, contact your local council so that they can point you to the closest recycling station. Don’t put your old car battery in the household rubbish, into the general rubbish to go to the landfill or leave the old car batteries lying around the home.
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