How ERI Recycles Batteries
Batteries come in all kinds of electronic waste sorted at ERI facilities. Whether pre-installed as part of a device or manually inserted as single-use or rechargeable power sources, batteries must be handled carefully and disposed of properly. ERI also has a specific box program designed for recycling batteries.
All batteries that enter ERI recycling facilities are sorted by type or chemistry as they are received. ERI manages all intact batteries under universal waste regulations. Though several types of batteries used to power electronic devices are not categorized as hazardous waste by the U.S. EPA, ERI is still takes every precaution to carefully sort each variety.
ERI handles household alkaline batteries, lithium-ion/lithium primary batteries (including button batteries), nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel metal hydride batteries, nickel-iron batteries, carbon zinc batteries (without mercury), zinc air batteries, polapulse batteries, zinc chloride batteries, mercury batteries, mercuric oxide batteries, carbon zinc batteries (with mercury), button-cell silver oxide batteries, absorbed glass mat batteries, sealed lead acid batteries and wet cell batteries.
Commodities
Battery
Circuit Board
Copper
Freon
Glass
Mercury
Metal
Plastic
Facts
Every year, only about 4% of battery waste is recycled, with the remaining 96% ending up in landfills. (source: All-Recycling-Facts.com
In California, it is illegal to trash batteries of all chemistry types. Twenty-nine other states have battery-recycling laws in place. (source: call2recycle)
Button-cell battery recycling rates are rising due to the high levels of commodities live silver and cadmium, their small size and the ease of handling. (source: EPA)