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Lithium-Ion Batteries Have Gone Too Far (www.theatlantic.com)

submitted 3 months ago by jeffw to c/technology

23 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Non-paywall link: https://12ft.io/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2024/07/too-many-lithium-ion-batteries/679302/

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago (2 children)

I know it's okay to throw away traditional alkaline battery cells in the trash or the ocean or whatever, but I always thought that doing so was improper, so I've just been collecting a bag of them thinking that I'll eventually figure out how to dispose of them properly. The article implies that it's proper to just throw them in the trash. Is that true?

[–] Illogicalbit 4 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Recycle your old batteries https://www.consumerreports.org/home-garden/recycling/yes-you-need-to-recycle-your-old-batteries-a5385943645/

Most batteries—regardless of type—contain toxic chemicals. Think cadmium, lead, lithium, or sulfuric acid. If your old batteries end up in a landfill, pollutants like these can leak out and contaminate groundwater, damage fragile ecosystems, and potentially make their way into the food chain.

[–] BarbecueCowboy 1 points 3 months ago

From what I've heard, the real primary reason is fire risk. This is obviously not 100% true, but landfills should be isolated from the surrounding environment especially when it comes to fluids/etc that could leak into groundwater. There are a lot of processes they should already be following to keep that from happening.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

Look for eco conscious companies in your area, even if they are just doing it for optics. The property management co I work in has a battery recycling bin in the main lobby, others keep them out of sight but are just a request away. I just did a ~~google~~ search of my area and there are so many listed. Search "Recycle batteries in [city]"

Edit: I don't use THAT search but it is so burnt into my mind I missed it there, sorry, lol

[–] scutiger 2 points 3 months ago

It's ok to use google as a verb. Using the word that way is how it becomes generic, which is something Google would really hate. Not that it's gonna happen anytime soon, but we can always try.