Alkaline Battery Recycling

In an effort to help protect the environment, Rayovac redesigned their alkaline battery to be rechargeable. This type of recycling is very helpful protecting environment by not generating as much waste.

Using a recharable alkaline battery helps saves

the environment with less pollution emissions

Alkaline Battery Uses

Recycling Practices

Toys, Games, portable audio equipment, cameras, sporting goods, hearing aids, computers, watches, flashlights,

Batteries may contain harmful metals and chemicals such as
nickel cadmium, alkaline, mercury, nickel metal hydride and
lead acid, which can contaminate the environment if not
disposed properly. For example, when batteries containing
cadmium is used in landfills, they will eventually dissolve and
release the toxic substance that can seep into water supplies,
posing serious health hazards for the population. This is why
recycling batteries has become so important because it helps
prevent pollution, and also saves resources.

The Recycling Process:

First of all, the batteries to be recycled are sorted according
to chemistries such as nickel-cadmium, nickel-metal-hydride,
lithium, alkaline etc. The combustible material, such as
plastics and insulation, is then removed with a gas fired
thermal oxidizer, which is the first step in the recycling
process. Most recycling plants have scrubbers where the gases
from the thermal oxidizer are neutralized to remove pollutants,
producing clean, naked cells that contain precious metal
content.

The metal in the batteries are then heated to liquefy, after
they have been hacked into little pieces. Black slag left by
burned out non-metallic substances are scraped off with a slag
arm, and the different alloys that settle according to weight
are skimmed off. Some plants pour the liquid metals directly
into (65 pounds) or 'hogs' (2000 pounds) without separating on
site, which are then shipped to metal recovery plants to
produce nickel, chromium and iron re-melt alloy for the
manufacturing of other metal products.

State and Federal Regulations in the United States:

The Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act
was passed in 1996 by the U.S. Congress which requires
regulated batteries such as Ni-CD batteries and sealed
lead-acid batteries to:

1. be easily removable from consumer products to make it easier
to recover them for recycling
2. include in the label the battery chemistry, the "three
chasing arrows" symbol, and a phrase that instructs users to
properly recycle or dispose the battery
3. provide national uniformity in collection, storage, and
transport
4. phase out the use of certain mercury-containing batteries

The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC):
(www.rbrc.org)

The United States Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation
(RBRC) was set up in 1994 as a non-profit, public service
organization to help and promote the recycling of portable
rechargeable batteries such as Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel
Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed
Lead. It also educates rechargeable power users about the
benefits and accessibility of rechargeable battery recycling.
However, RBRC only recycles batteries that has RBRC Battery
Recycling Seal. Manufacturers, marketers and collectors or
rechargeable batteries or products that use them can contact
RBRC at “licensee@rbrc.com” for better solutions. Other Contact
Info:

RBRC
1000 Parkwood Circle
Suite 450
Atlanta, GA 30339
Ph: 678-419-9990
Fax: 678-419-9986

Recent Developments:

The mercury reduction in batteries, which had already started
in 1984, is still continued today. For example, batteries such
as those containing alkaline have had about a 97 percent
mercury reduction, and newer models may contain about one-tenth
the amount of mercury previously contained in the typical
alkaline battery, or may be zero-added mercury. A number of
mercury-free, heavy-duty, carbon-zinc batteries are now
available as alternatives. Technology such as silver-oxide and
zinc-air button batteries contain less mercury so they are
starting to replace mercuric-oxide batteries. Nickel-cadmium
batteries can be reprocessed to reclaim the nickel, and cadmium
free nickel and nickel-hydride system are also being researched.
At present, most nickel-cadmium batteries are permanently sealed
in appliances but changes are being made in regulations which
will result in a more convenient retrieval and recycling of
nickel-cadmium batteries.

About The Author: http://www.batteries-hq.com/ Batteries HQ:
everything you need to know about batteries.

The rechargeable alkaline battery lasts longer witch results in greater environmental protection. Disposable batteries have one life but the rechargeable has up to 25 lives. This helps in recycling efforts many times over.

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