Lithium-ion battery recycling ensures a healthier future for the earth. However, it is important to remember only the safe disposal of batteries minimizes the disastrous risk. If not disposed of safely it results in environmental and health risks. Since many people are not aware of the safe disposal of lithium-ion batteries, to clear their confusion, this blog will guide them on do’s and don’ts in lithium-ion battery recycling.
Table Of Contents:
Advantages of lithium-ion battery recycling
Conserve Natural Resources
Reduces Pollution
Generate Employment Opportunities
Do’s and Don’ts in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Do’s in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Work with a Certified Recycler
Use Anti-Sag Bags
Keep Batteries in a cool and dry place
Educate Others
Dont’s in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Ignore Warning Signs
Leave Batteries in the sun
Throw away batteries in the Trash
Puncture Or Crush Batteries
Advantages of lithium-ion battery recycling
Recycling lithium-ion batteries reduces the mixing of harmful waste in landfills. Let’s dive into the advantages of lithium-ion battery recycling.
Conserve Natural Resources
Recycling lithium-ion batteries decreases the leakage of toxic chemicals to landfills and waterfalls. It reduces the extraction of raw materials, meaning Mother Earth should not suffer more. This protects the natural resources being destroyed from mining.
Lithium-ion battery recycling recovers valuable resources that can be used to produce new batteries. It takes less energy to create new batteries from recycled ones. Additionally, it is cost-effective and lowers the environmental impact.
Reduces Pollution
Improper disposal of batteries can increase the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. 73% of air pollution and 35% of water pollution are reduced by recycling. Before throwing a lithium-ion battery in the recycle bin, think about if it is recycled it can reduce pollution.
Generate Employment Opportunities
Recycling requires more manpower. When it comes to lithium-ion batteries, the process is long and generates more jobs. It requires many workers to collect recyclable batteries from different sources and transport them to recycle center. The cleaning, shredding, and transforming recyclable materials to raw materials further require more manpower. Lithium-ion battery recycling requires operators, technicians, and maintenance personnel.
Do’s and Don’ts in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Following proper do’s and don’ts in lithium-ion battery recycling helps to reduce disastrous environmental and human risks. Let’s dive into do’s and don’ts in lithium-ion battery recycling for its safe disposal.
Do’s in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Work with a Certified Recycler
There are a lot of risks when it comes to recycling lithium-ion batteries. Working with a certified recycler prevents this risk as they ensure the safe disposal of batteries. They follow the rules and regulations for recycling. The worker during recycling is exposed to many harmful chemicals and metals, certified recycler ensures their safety too. Hence, consider recycling only with certified recyclers and take a step ahead to protect workers and the environment.
Use Anti-Sag Bags
Storing batteries in anti-sag bags provides additional safety and protection. It reduces the mishandling of batteries and minimizes the accidental risk of battery leakage. During transportation, it protects from sun, dust, and moisture reducing the risk of explosion.
Keep Batteries in a cool and dry place
Storing batteries in a cool and dry place reduces the degradation of batteries. If exposed to high temperatures, the battery gets damaged and loses its capacity to retain valuable resources.
Educate Others
Educate others on the importance of recycling lithium-ion batteries. Make them aware of the positive effects of recycling. Awareness can start from home and expand to a locality, city, and country. Organizing various awareness campaigns increases public awareness. Making citizen aware of their responsibility to protect the environment leads to a sustainable future.
Dont’s in Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling
Ignore Warning Signs
Don’t ignore warning signs such as:
- Heat: If a battery is hotter to the touch than usual it’s time to recycle it.
- Swelling: Don’t ignore if your battery looks swollen.
- Noise: Recycle the battery if it makes cracking sounds.
- Odor: A strong or unusual odor from the battery is a bad sign.
Leave Batteries in the sun
Don’t leave batteries in the sun, instead keep them in a dry place at room temperature. Sun will increase the risk of overheating and leakage. Further, it can emit smoke and has a risk of starting a fire.
Throw away batteries in the Trash
Throwing batteries away in the trash results in environmental pollution. Toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cobalt, etc. can reach landfills or waterfalls. It increases the risk to the ecosystem and humans. Improper thrown-out batteries can cause landfill fires and release harmful gases into the atmosphere.
Puncture Or Crush Batteries
Puncture or crushing batteries result in short-circuiting. It can result in leakage and heat generation which may lead to fire and explosion.
These do’s and don’ts in lithium-ion battery recycling support a greener future.
Conclusion
Lithium-ion batteries must be recycled responsibly. By following the do’s and don’ts in lithium-ion battery recycling outlined above, you can ensure you are responsible enough to keep our earth clean and green. You can consider Batx Energies for recycling batteries. We follow all do’s and don’ts in Lithium-Ion battery recycling and other recycling rules, and together we can have a sustainable future.