Disposal of used batteries

What to do with a battery that has reached the end of its service life? How to properly dispose of a car battery? And how does the battery recycling process work?

Old, used car batteries cannot be thrown into landfills: they contain hazardous substances such as sulfuric acid, lead, and certain other metals, which cause significant harm to the environment. Batteries can and should be sent for recycling, and you can receive money for them. Most often, at battery collection points, you can exchange an old battery for a new one.

We also remind you that legislation establishes rules for the collection of automotive batteries. They must be collected separately from other types of scrap metal. It is recommended to store batteries subject to disposal in a specially equipped room with a canopy and a solid floor. Batteries should be placed on pallets to prevent leakage of hazardous electrolyte.

Car battery disposal is a technologically complex process. It is carried out by specialized facilities where all stages of disposal are automated. The technology for battery disposal varies depending on the type of electrolyte it contains.

For example, lead-acid batteries, widely used in automotive transport, undergo a multi-stage disposal procedure, resulting in purified lead and plastic. First, the electrolyte (acid) is drained from the battery, and then the battery casing is crushed. According to the disposal technology, the electrolyte must be neutralized. For this purpose, it is subjected to high-temperature treatment in sealed chambers. It should be noted that often unscrupulous battery buyers neglect this recommendation and simply discharge the electrolyte into wastewater (it is more profitable to hand over batteries without electrolyte to the facility), thereby harming nature and creating risks to human health.