Battery recycling and disposal

Businesses rely on batteries for everything from powering heavy machinery to smartphones, but these components don’t last forever and will eventually run their course. Due to the potential health hazards of incorrectly disposing of batteries, businesses must establish proper battery recycling and disposal practices to mitigate environmental risks and ensure compliance with regulatory standards.

Waste Mission provides a battery recycling and disposal service as part of our comprehensive total waste management services. Our eco-friendly battery recycling and disposal services are fully compliant with waste management regulations and aim to improve the safety of workers on-site while also avoiding potential fires and health risks.

Battery recycling service

We understand the significant risk that waste batteries can pose to workers and the environment when they are not recycled or disposed of correctly.

Batteries contain a variety of toxic chemicals and heavy metals, such as lead, mercury, and cadmium. These chemicals can pose serious health hazards if they are allowed to leech into the environment or come into direct contact with people.

The lead found in lead-acid batteries can damage the nervous and reproductive systems. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that can damage the brain and accumulate in the environment, leading to widespread environmental damage. Cadmium is a known carcinogen that causes respiratory damage and also poses risks to soil and water quality.

Disposing and recycling used batteries

When disposed of incorrectly, commercial batteries can pose serious environmental hazards and could potentially lead to fire and health risks. Due to their classification as hazardous waste, commercial batteries need to be stored and disposed of correctly at a recycling centre to ensure the safety of your workers and the environment.

Battery collections

We provide battery collection, recycling, and disposal services. This allows us to reduce the potential risks of battery recycling and disposal while also maximising battery recyclability by recovering valuable finite materials such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel.

Who needs to recycle batteries?

Batteries are found everywhere in a typical business, from lead-acid batteries in vehicles to lithium-ion batteries in mobile phones. Simply throwing well-used batteries away can be extremely dangerous, especially if they are rechargeable. Batteries are classified as hazardous waste, so they must be disposed of correctly to avoid harming the environment and causing potential risks such as chemical burns and fires.

Commonly recycled batteries include car batteries, Li-ion batteries (such as those in electric vehicles and mobile phones), nickel metal hydride batteries in power tools, and alkaline batteries. Sooner or later, these batteries will run their course and become obsolete or too weak to continue their purpose. As such, businesses generate battery waste over time and have a responsibility to recycle or dispose of them correctly.

Recycling rechargeable batteries

Due to their different chemical compositions, the recycling processes for rechargeable lithium-ion batteries are different but still very possible. Lithium-ion battery recycling is important, given their common use in electronic devices.

The main goal of recycling batteries is to recover the valuable finite materials contained inside each one while also minimising the environmental impact that battery recycling can have. We recycle industrial batteries using a safe and eco-friendly process that adheres to stringent environmental regulations and standards.

The importance of battery recycling and disposal

Preventing fire and explosion hazards

Improperly disposed batteries, particularly lithium-ion batteries found in electronic devices, can cause fires and explosions if damaged. This is especially problematic if the batteries are crushed or punctured in landfills.

We offer safe collection and transportation of batteries, and we recycle and dispose of them in regulated environments to prevent fire and explosion hazards.

Protecting the Environment

Batteries contain harmful chemicals and heavy metals that are toxic to the environment. If not disposed of correctly, they could leech into the surrounding earth and water, causing widespread damage to both wildlife and human health.

We can prevent environmental contamination, ensure that toxic chemicals are handled safely and disposed of correctly, and ensure that any reusable materials are put to good use.

Reducing waste

Recycling batteries allows us to reuse many of the valuable finite materials used to produce batteries, such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and other rare earth metals (REEs).

Our battery recycling service facilitates the reuse of these valuable materials, contributing to a circular economy and reducing your business’s environmental impact.

Recycle and dispose of your batteries today

If your business uses batteries regularly, you’ll eventually generate battery waste. When this happens, old batteries can no longer provide useful energy storage or offer the required performance and should be disposed of correctly at recycling facilities.

Our recycling service helps reduce fire risk, protects the environment, reduces waste, and preserves the precious resources used to produce batteries.

Contact us today to learn more about our battery recycling and disposal services or to book a battery collection for your business.

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