Hermit Leer is the main man in our information campaign. Being a battery, he speaks for himself and all his recyclable friends – all kinds of used device batteries and lithium rechargeable batteries – and shows just how easy proper battery disposal is to avoid fire hazards and recover secondary raw materials.
Hermit and his recyclable friends, who we’ve all probably got rattling around in some drawer or other, contain a number of valuable raw materials and dangerous substances too. Get involved: Clear your home of the clutter that is flat (rechargeable) batteries, because that’s not where they belong – any more than they belong in the residual waste!
[/borlabs-cookie] Handy hint: You can take used device batteries and rechargeable batteries back to the place you bought them from. You’ll find collection boxes in stores, like supermarkets, drugstores, electronics retailers or DIY stores.
Professional disposal is a service provided by municipal collection points of cities, towns and smaller communities, where you can properly dispose of your used device batteries, rechargeable batteries and even waste electrical equipment (whether they contain a rechargeable battery or not).
The easiest way to dispose of batteries is to take them to a store. All companies that sell batteries also have to take back used batteries, whether you buy more or not. Supermarkets, DIY stores, electronics retailers, drugstores and so on all provide battery collection boxes for this purpose. They’re usually located at the checkout counter or in the exit area.
[/borlabs-cookie] At home, you’re best storing your used batteries in an empty jar with a screw-on lid or in one of the pre-collection boxes you can get from your local waste management association, for example. Used lithium rechargeable batteries (from the likes of cell phones or cameras) and monobloc batteries should be protected against short-circuits before disposal by masking off the battery terminals, otherwise there’s a risk of a fire breaking out.
