How to Recycle Household Batteries
There are several ways to recycle household batteries. You can call your local solid waste district to find out if your community has a collection program or upcoming event. You can also search the area for recycling centers that accept single-use batteries using Earth911’s Recycling Search. Another option is to find a mail-in recycling program that accepts batteries. Most of these programs will sell you a container to store used batteries that can be mailed when filled (cirbasolutions.com).
For most recycling centers, simply put your batteries in a plastic bag, which will keep any caustic battery materials from leaking, and leave them at the drop-off point. The facilities that recycle the batteries will sort them properly (commonsensehome.com). It is important to properly recycle batteries.
To prevent fires from lithium-ion batteries, tape battery terminals and/or place batteries in separate plastic bags and never put these batteries in household garbage or recycling bins (epa.gov). If you do not recycle batteries safely it could cause a fire or chemical burns.
Other Dos & Don'ts of General Recycling
Recycling waste materials can have a positive impact on our environment. Through recycling, we can conserve energy, save our environment, protect our natural resources, and mitigate the effects of global warming.
According to the Stanford University’s research, by recycling one ton of steel, we can save 645 kWH of energy, 1.8 barrels of oil, 10.9 million BTU’s of energy and 4 cubic yards of landfill space.
Environmentalists predict that by 2050, there will be 12 billion metric tons of plastic in landfills. In the US, only 9% of the plastic that is disposed of makes it to the recycling plants. Similarly, it was reported that the construction industry in the USA, produces around 125 million tons of debris every year and only 2% of the building material is recycled.
If we were to recycle even 50% of the waste that we produce daily we could not only conserve energy for future generations, but we could also restore our natural habitats and protect our environment from pollution, biohazards, and the adverse effects of climate change.
Recycling of waste materials can be as easy as ABC. You just must bear in mind these simple dos and don’ts of recycling and within no time you will be able to notice the ripple effects of your good deed.
The Do's of Recycling
- Always separate your waste that needs to be recycled. Ensure that you have categorized your waste according to its material and make. Have separate recycling bins for each category e.g., glass, plastic, paper, and metal.
- Always flatten the carboard boxes before you leave them out for recycling. Flattened carboard boxes occupy less space in the recycling bins and dumpsters. Moreover, it saves time and energy of the staff members at the recycling plants who are sorting through the paper waste.
- Make sure before you throw out cans and containers, they are empty and have been rinsed thoroughly. Soft drinks and food waste not only rot inside and make dumpsters smell bad, but it can also spoil other recyclable waste material, like paper waste.
- Only recycle glass bottles and jars. Shards of broken window glass, vases, stemware and drinking glasses are of a different make and cannot be recycled with the other normal glass. Also, remove the metal lids from your jar and recycle them separately with other metal.
- Plastic bottles that are labelled 1, 2, 4, and 5 are the most accepted plastics for recycling. So, check the number at the bottom before you throw the bottle in the recycling bin.
- When recycling tins, make sure that the sharp edges have either been smoothed or if it comes with the lid, then the lid is still attached. Sharp and uneven edges of tins and cans can injure the staff collecting your waste.
- You should always flatten the beverage cans before discarding them in the recycling bin.
- Reuse aluminum foil, trays, and pie plates. You can easily wipe it clean and use it next time for baking or food packaging. When you do dispose of it, make sure its empty and has been wiped clean.
The Don'ts of Recycling
- Don’t flatten cartons (juice and milk cartons) or plastic bottles. But do make sure they are empty of all liquid before you dispose them for recycling.
- Don’t tie your shredded paper waste in a plastic bag. Instead put it in a paper bag, seal it and label it as “shredded paper”. This way, the whole package can be sent for paper recycling, without wasting time on taking shredded paper out of the plastic bag.
- Don’t throw your plastic shopping bags with other plastic waste. You can reuse plastic bags to carry or store other things in your home. It is recommended that you take a reusable cloth bag grocery shopping, to reduce your use of plastic bags.
- Don’t just simply dispose all kinds of plastic bottles and containers in the recycling bin. In many states, the recycling plants do not recycle plastic containers and bottles that have been numbered 3, 6, and 7, due to potential health risks. Recycling these plastics release harmful chemicals in the environment that adversely affect our health.
- Don’t recycle half full or unclean milk cartons. Don’t simply throw them in the recycling bin. You can reuse these cartons for creative DIY projects, so first check if anybody needs them.
- Don’t put your empty pizza boxes in the recycling bin. Even though the pizza box can be recycled, the food residue and grease on the cardboard pizza box will disrupt the recycling process. To recycle cardboard, it is mixed with water to form a thick blend, but because the grease is insoluble in water, the resulting mixture is not smooth and cannot be easily recycled.
- Do not dispose old electronic devices as waste. Keep them separate and label the bag as ‘E-waste’.
- Avoid throwing out glass bottles and jars. Instead, turn them into creative work of arts. Although glass bottles and jars can be recycled, you can reuse these jars and bottles as containers or holders for your home. This is a cost effective and environmentally friendly technique to decorate and furnish your home.
In the US, only one-third of the total waste produced is recycled. If we aim to recycle 75% of our waste materials like; plastic, glass, metal, and paper, the effect on pollution reduction would be equivalent to removing 50 cars from the road.
We play our part in conserving energy and protecting the environment by effective waste management practices. You too can contribute by recycling your building materials. For debris collection and recycling, call us now at 248-775-7400 or visit us online (Titan National), as we provide the best dumpster rental service in and around Detroit, Michigan.
So, follow the don’s and don’ts of recycling and become the new generation of environment lovers.
