Each year, billions of used batteries are disposed into solid waste facilities in the United States. This constitutes 88% of the mercury and 54% of the cadmium deposited into our landfills. Since the use of batteries is necessary in our daily operations, the system that is used to manage these batteries should promote source reduction and recycling. These are the essential keys to preventing pollution and reducing your liabilities and costs.
BSI's BATTERY WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS outline the overall steps that should be followed when organizing a battery recycling action plan. The steps include:
Analyzing your waste streams
Examining all administrative issues associated with the program
Evaluating battery collections
Educating your employees on the benefits of a battery recycling program
In addition, this program discusses several pollution prevention opportunities present in battery recycling, methods for measuring the program's progress and resources that are available to each of your facilities.
There are many facilities which have implemented battery recycling programs as part of their pollution prevention efforts. Each facility that makes the decision to implement battery recycling programs will help protect the environment and insure their compliance with environmental laws. Battery Solutions, Inc. has researched and implemented battery recycling programs for corporations, organizations, municipalities and government agencies throughout the USA. This program provides the key elements that Battery SoIutions, Inc. has gained from their many experiences.
STARTING A BATTERY WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
How do you begin this program?
By analyzing all of your facilities' process streams, including procurement, usage, and disposal. The types and quantities of batteries that are present in each stream should be identified. By doing this Battery Solutions, Inc. will be able to customize a integrated battery waste management program that meets your facilities' needs.
What planning or administrative issues need to be addressed?
The facilities should conduct a battery needs assessment to determine where and what batteries are essential and where they might be eliminated. Once your battery needs are established, there are significant factors that must be considered prior to implementation of your integrated battery waste management program. These should include:
Selecting and procuring the collection containers (choose from our container sheet)
Sorting the larger wet cell batteries from the smaller dry cell types prior to shipment to
Battery Solutions, Inc.
Providing temporary storage space for the battery collection containers.
Determine where the collection containers will be located. One central collection point or multiple collection points should be designated. Smaller facilities or those that use fewer batteries should consider using one central collection point. Larger facilities or those that use more batteries should consider using multiple collection points. No matter which method you use, your program should be structured so that it is easy and simple for employees to participate.
How do you communicate the benefits of the program to your employees?
The benefits of your battery recycling program must be effectively conveyed to employees for the program to be successful. Many people have learned and are continuing to learn about recycling programs through educational materials. Some materials that you could design are pamphlets, posters, and other printed and electronic materials. Also, seminars are highly effective in getting your message across. Increased public education and awareness about recycling programs will definitely enhance the success of your program.
OPPORTUNITIES
Rechargeable Batteries
The increasing use of rechargeable batteries in many devices today reduces the quantity of batteries disposed of by your facilities. Rechargeable batteries last longer thus reducing the number of batteries purchased. By reducing the amount of batteries procured and disposed of, you can help reduce the amount of environmentally harmful wastes discharged by your facilities. It also saves money!
Battery Inventorying
A battery recycling program will enable your facilities to maintain an inventory of the batteries procured, used, recycled, and disposed of by the facilities. By doing this, an efficient record of all batteries used can be maintained and facilities can ensure that batteries are being recycled and not disposed as waste. Spreadsheet and computer database programs can be used to establish an inventory system.
Centralized Procurement
The procurement of batteries should be centralized through one location. This will make the procurement, usage and disposal of batteries more efficient by minimizing waste due to over purchasing or shelf-life expiration. This is an excellent example of a source reduction pollution prevention initiative.
MEASURING PROGRESS
It is important to measure the progress of your battery recycling program. This will enable you to see the actual performance of this program. Battery Solutions, Inc. can help you achieve this. How? We will send you a spreadsheet report with a breakdown of all the different chemistries of spent batteries generated and collected from your facilities. For example, by your company's maintaining an accurate record of the batteries procured, used, reused, coupled with BSI's spreadsheet listing chemistry type, and amount of batteries recycled, you will be able to gain an accurate picture of these process streams. Using this information, you can measure the progress of the program in a variety of ways, such as:
Percentage of batteries reused.
Percentage of batteries recycled. This is a check to insure 100% recycling.
Percentage of battery chemistries used and for what applications.
Dollars saved by reducing the procurement and disposal costs through rechargeable batteries.
Using this information, the facilities can establish and measure their progress toward these goals. There are several critical areas (quantitative and qualitative) which could be evaluated during a typical progress measurement session. These areas include program savings and performance, employee participation, benefits realized, problems experienced, recycler service and other areas which the facilities deem appropriate. Such as:
What percentage of employees are participating in the program?
Some states offer financial assistance to agencies that participate in recycling efforts.
By recycling your batteries you are keeping in compliance with current environmental regulations, managing your waste stream properly and limiting your exposure to liability.
BENEFITS OF BATTERY RECYCLING
Keeps all the hazardous metals in one place.
The metals reclaimed are reused and put back into the manufacturing process to build more batteries.
The plastic is recycled to be used again.
The costs of landfilling the batteries are saved.
Establishes good environmental and public relations policies.
Saves natural resources.
Conserves for future generations.
Countries have gone environmentally bankrupt by not managing their waste products.
Recycling helps prevent this from ever happening!
By recycling your batteries properly you will be keeping in compliance with current environmental
regulations, managing your waste stream properly and limiting your exposure to liability…and
setting a good example for everyone to keep our environment healthy.
