How To Properly Dispose of Single-use Batteries To Reduce Environmental Pollution

1. Insist on Classified Recycling, Refuse Random Disposal

• Do not mix waste disposable batteries with household garbage (landfill or incineration). Landfill will cause harmful substances (such as mercury, cadmium, zinc, and manganese) in the battery to seep into soil and groundwater over time, polluting farmland and drinking water sources; incineration will release toxic gases into the atmosphere, endangering human respiratory health and ecological balance.

• Put waste disposable batteries into special recycling containers. At present, many communities, supermarkets, convenience stores, and postal service points are equipped with special waste battery recycling bins (usually marked with "Waste Battery Recycling" and corresponding logos). For button batteries (used in watches, calculators), which are small and easy to be ignored, they can be collected in a sealed small box first and then put into the recycling bin in a centralized manner.

• Pay attention to recycling specifications for special scenarios. For waste primary lithium batteries used in medical equipment, cameras, and aviation fields, they should be handed over to professional recycling institutions or the manufacturers for unified disposal, as their lithium content is higher and requires professional treatment to avoid potential safety hazards and pollution.

2. Choose Environmentally Friendly Products to Reduce Pollution from the Source

• Prioritize mercury-free or low-mercury disposable batteries. With the advancement of technology, most regular disposable batteries (such as alkaline batteries and carbon-zinc batteries) on the market have achieved mercury-free production (mercury content ≤ 0.0001%), which greatly reduces the toxic pollution caused by battery leakage compared with traditional mercury-containing batteries.

• Avoid buying inferior disposable batteries. Inferior batteries often have substandard production processes, incomplete encapsulation, and are prone to leakage during use or after disposal, releasing more harmful substances. Choose well-known brands and qualified products with environmental protection certifications.

3. Use Disposably Batteries Rationally to Reduce Waste

• Do not discard batteries with residual power at will. For disposable batteries used in low-power devices (such as remote controls and alarm clocks), they can be reused in devices with lower power requirements (such as small flashlights and toy cars) after the power is nearly exhausted, improving the utilization rate and reducing the number of waste batteries.

• Match batteries with devices reasonably. According to the power consumption of the device, select the appropriate type of disposable battery (such as using alkaline batteries for medium-power devices and carbon-zinc batteries for low-power devices) to avoid overusing high-capacity batteries (which are more costly and may cause unnecessary waste) or using low-capacity batteries that need to be replaced frequently.

4. Pay Attention to Special Disposal of Hazardous Disposable Batteries

• Do not disassemble waste disposable batteries manually. Disassembling batteries may cause the electrolyte to leak, corrode the skin, and release toxic substances into the environment.

• For large quantities of waste disposable batteries (such as those from enterprises, hospitals, or schools), contact professional environmental protection recycling companies for unified collection and disposal, ensuring that harmful substances are properly treated (such as harmless treatment, resource recycling of useful substances).

5. Cooperate with Social Environmental Protection Initiatives