WHY RECYCLE BATTERIES AND BATTERIES?

Paper, plastic, glass, aluminum are already significantly recycled in India. However, recycling exhausted cells and batteries is not yet in the Indian daily life.

 

Also, disposing of them incorrectly is extremely dangerous. The heavy metals inside do not degrade and are extremely harmful to health and the environment. Precisely because they are bio-accumulative, the need for the correct disposal of used cells and batteries arose.

 

A typical battery generally contains three heavy metals: zinc, lead and manganese, as well as hazardous substances such as cadmium, ammonium chloride and acetylene black. The alkaline battery also contains mercury, one of the most toxic substances known.

 

Therefore, cells and batteries represent today a serious environmental problem. About 800 million dry (zinc-carbon) and alkaline batteries are produced in the country each year (data from the Indian Association of Electrical and Electronic Industry).

 

 

This situation is aggravated here, in India, Battery Scrap and Power Plants Scrap, carried out by street vendors, around 40% of the batteries sold in the country.

 

These pirated batteries do not follow technical norms and Indian standards, having heavy metal contents up to seven times higher than allowed by our legislation, not allowing them to be disposed of in common garbage. In this type of informal trade, there is neither awareness nor concern about collection.

 

RISKS TO THE ENVIRONMENT AND HEALTH

 

In nature, a pile can take centuries to decompose. However, heavy metals never degrade. In contact with moisture, water, heat or other chemical substances, toxic components leak and contaminate everything they pass through: soil, water, plants and animals.

 

With the rains, they penetrate the soil and reach underground water, reaching streams and streams. Contaminated water ends up reaching the human food chain through agricultural irrigation or direct consumption.

 

Heavy metals have a high dissemination power and a surprising ability to accumulate in the human body and in all living organisms, which are unable to metabolize or eliminate them, which brings serious damage to health.

 

Among the evils caused by contamination with heavy metals is; anemia, debility, partial paralysis, cancer and genetic mutations. They also damage the central nervous system, liver, kidneys and lungs.

 

THE BEST OPTION

 

The ideal option is, without a doubt, the use of Rechargeable Batteries. In India, they still occupy a small niche, no more than 5% of the market. They are more expensive than common and alkaline batteries, however their useful life is much longer, can be reused hundreds of times, and they are more ecological.

 

BUT HOW DO I FIND OUT IF THE BATTERY I PURCHASED CAN BE DISPOSED IN THE HOUSEHOLD WASTE?

 

Indian legislation requires the factory or importer of batteries to present the symbology for disposal of their product, with this we can easily know how to correctly dispose of our batteries, just check the packaging and make the correct destination.

BATTERY PACK

 

The Royal Battery Recycling Program collects all types of used portable batteries (from flashlights, radios, remote controls, watches, cell phones, cordless phones, laptops, digital cameras and other portable devices) and takes care of their recycling .

 

This program aims to make people aware of the need to correctly dispose of these materials, reducing the amount of batteries released into the environment.

 

As determined by environmental legislation, cells and batteries weighing more than 500 grams or dimensions greater than 5 cm x 8 cm must be returned to the place of purchase or sent directly to the manufacturer. The same must be done with lead-acid batteries of any size, used in motorcycles, alarms, rural cell phones and automobiles.

 

Cell phones in disuse must be delivered, together with the battery, at the operators' stores. They will give you both a safe destination.

 

HOW THE RECYCLING IS DONE

 

Cells and batteries are stripped and their metals burned in high-temperature industrial ovens, equipped with filters that prevent the emission of polluting gases.

 

In this process, salts and metal oxides are obtained, which are used in the refractory, glass, paint, ceramic and chemical industry in general, without risk to people and the environment.

 

SOLUTIONS

 

There is currently a worldwide mobilization in order to minimize the production of cells and batteries with these substances. The point is that replacement requires investments and research, which means expenses for companies. While companies present solutions only to provide alternatives for the environmentally appropriate destination of this waste, little is invested in new options.

 

The population must not only demand from responsible companies and bodies that they adopt conservationist attitudes and alert the population about the danger of this type of waste, but must also review and change their own way of understanding and relating to the environment.

 

TIPS ON CORRECT USE OF BATTERIES AND BATTERIES

• Placing batteries in the refrigerator does not increase the charge, on the contrary, when exposed to cold or heat, performance may deteriorate.
• When replacing them in equipment, replace them all at the same time.
• Remove them if the device is going to be unused for a long time, as they may leak.
• Do not mix different batteries (alkaline and regular; new and used). This degrades performance and durability.
• Prefer rechargeable or alkaline batteries and batteries. Although they cost a little more, they last longer.
• Store batteries in a dry place at room temperature.
• Never store batteries with toys, food or medicine.
• Do not expose batteries to excessive heat or moisture. They can leak or explode.
• For the same reasons, do not incinerate them and, under no circumstances, try to open them.
• Never dispose of batteries into the environment and do not let them become children's toys.
• Avoid buying portable devices with built-in non-removable batteries.
• Always buy original products. Do not use pirated batteries and batteries.