How do we recycle batteries?
- After a hammer mill breaks the battery into smaller pieces, the pieces are dropped into a vat
- Lead and other heavy materials stay on the bottom of the container and plastics float to the top
- After polypropylene bits are strained out of the mixture, liquids are drained, leaving behind the lead and other metals
- Other materials then enter separate recycling chambers for plastic, sulfuric acid, and lead
- Plastics are melted further and extruded into uniform pellets that may be repurposed later
- Sulfuric acids are either neutralized or processed into different chemical form for other uses
- Lead is melted and poured into molds. Then the resulting lead ingots are sent to manufacturers for use in new lead batteries
Why Recycle Batteries?
When this type of battery is placed in a landfill instead of being recycled, its casing will soon break down, and all the toxic substances inside will leach into the soil and can eventually reach our water supply. And even if the battery is incinerated instead, the toxic fumes produced will still pollute our air. That’s why it’s so important that these batteries be handled correctly! If you have expired lead-acid batteries, please drop them off at one of our two locations.