If you have lead-acid automotive batteries, do not hold onto them, and do not dispose of them yourself. The lead in these batteries is highly hazardous and thus disposal of anything with lead is regulated at the city, state, and federal levels. Long-term storage can also be an environmental hazard because batteries tend to leak. The problem is about 10 times worse when you have a collection of old car batteries sitting on a pallet under a tarp. So, if you have pallets full of old batteries contact a scrapyard or battery recycle business and arrange to have a company that can sell battery components and process them. This is an easy way to earn a little money, protect people from lead exposure, and help the environment.
Environmental Reasons to Recycle Batteries
Recycle those old batteries by turning them over to a smelter or a specialty battery recycling operation. This is good for the environment for three reasons:
1. Environmental cost. Lead mining is a serious environmental hazard, introducing lead into air, soil, and water. Mining also produces enormous amounts of mineral waste.
2. Waste disposal. Disposal is an environmental hazard – Lead leaches into the soil and water, posing a health hazard to people and wildlife. This is why we cannot send our old car and truck batteries to landfill anymore.
3. Storage. Long-term storage is risky. Lead acid batteries leak acid and allow lead particles to escape into the environment. Storing a few dozen batteries outside your business for months on end is not the best idea.
Long-term lead exposure is a serious health hazard in several ways. Lead poisoning causes anemia, weakness, and brain damage and can be fatal. Lead is particularly dangerous for children and for pregnant women. Children are more sensitive to lead exposure, and lead can cross from mother to fetus, potentially causing brain damage. So, lead mining, improper storage, and improper disposal also pose health hazards.
Remember that, depending on where you live, you may not be able to deliver those old batteries to a landfill. Many states ban this disposal technique, because of the long-term hazard from lead contamination, mostly. The same law would apply to trucks, marine, motorcycles, and RV batteries as well.
Economic Reasons
According to Recycling Today, almost 100% of a battery is recyclable, and recycling is required by law anyway. Fortunately, these rules generated new opportunities for businesses and nonprofits. This means recycling automotive batteries is typically easy. Do a search for “battery recycling near me” or just look for a battery collection center near you. If you are a business that tends to collect lots of car and truck batteries, search for commercial recyclers who handle lead acid batteries. Many of these operations will pick up a large consignment at no cost to you.
Lead isn’t the only recyclable part of car batteries. The plastic battery housing can be recycled to make new battery cases. The acid in the batteries might also be reclaimed and turned into sodium sulfate. Sodium sulfate is used in laundry detergent, textile manufacturing, and glass production. Recyclers can easily sell battery components after processing them to separate the lead, plastic, and acid.
As with anything that has value, you might be able to sell your old batteries. Recyclers and scrapyards usually pay by the pound. They may only accept bulk shipments though. Call and ask if you have a single battery to recycle. Your best bet though is to find a collection center and take it there.
Recycling Options
The best option depends on whether you have a few car batteries or a few hundred. If you have one or a few car batteries, take them to the retailer or wholesaler that sold them. This is the best option for people with batteries they got from a nearby auto parts store or big box retailer. If you are a business owner, you can find a recycler or a collection center that sends those old batteries to a smelter or recycler.
Laws vary by state as well. State law in Tennessee forbids lead-acid batteries from being put in landfills. Kentucky also requires that batteries be delivered to smelters or recycling facilities or to the wholesaler or retailer that sold them. It should come as no surprise that Kentucky has made it illegal to abandon used batteries too. Federal laws also govern how these batteries may be disposed of. Therefore, recycling your old batteries, automotive or otherwise is the legal and environmentally friendly thing to do.
Battery Recycle Benefits Outweigh the Hassles
Lead-acid car batteries should be recycled whenever possible because that is the law in many states. Recycling reduces the environmental impact of mining for lead and keeps them from landfills, where they leach lead and acid into the ground. Send your bulk automotive batteries to a company that can process them and sell the battery components. Belanger recycles lead-acid automotive batteries by the piece. If you have 500 or more, we will pick them up for free, in our service area. We also help people sell their used catalytic converters for the best price through our Group Catalyst app for iOS and Android devices. Contact us to learn more about our recycling services.
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