The Southwest Portland Post. (Portland, Oregon) 2007-current, May 01, 2015, Page 7, Image 7

May 2015
FEATURES
Dear EarthTalk: Can I throw my old
disposable batteries in the trash or is
there a way to recycle them?
– Jennifer Brandstrom, Chicago, IL
Truth be told, those old used up
disposable alkaline batteries (AA,
AAA, C, D, 9-volt, etc.) aren’t the
environmental menace they used to be.
The federal government mandated
taking out the mercury, a potent
neurotoxin linked to a wide range of
environmental and health problems, as
part of the Mercury-Containing and
Rechargeable Battery Management Act
of 1996.
These days, in every U.S. state except
California (which requires recycling of
all spent batteries), it is safe and legal
to throw them in the trash.
Environmental Health & Safety Online,
the leading web-based clearinghouse
for information on environmental
health and safety, reports that today’s
alkaline disposables are composed
“primarily of common metals—steel,
zinc, and manganese—that do not pose
a health or environmental risk during
normal use or disposal.”
In California, tighter waste reduction
laws mean that residents are required to
recycle their spent alkalines by placing
them in clear zip lock bags on top of
their curbside trash cans (so garbage
haulers can keep them separate) or by
dropping them in battery recycling bins
(such as in larger apartment buildings
and at libraries).
Many electronics, big box and
drugstore chains that sell batteries
(BestBuy, Walgreens and others) will
also take them back for free and send
them off for recycling. Check out
CalRecycle’s website for more detailed
information on battery recycling in the
Golden State.
Unfortunately, some other kinds
of disposable batteries, such as the
increasingly ubiquitous alkaline
manganese “button cells” (commonly
used in digital thermometers,
calculators and many toys), still contain
mercury, and the federal government
provides little guidance regarding their
proper disposal.
Editor’s Note: For Post readers living in
Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington
counties, contact Metro Recycling for more
information about recycling batteries.
T h e M e rc u r y - C o n t a i n i n g a n d
Rechargeable Battery Management
Act doesn’t mandate phasing mercury
out of alkaline manganese button cells
because, at the time of the law’s passage
in 1996, including mercury was the
only way to control the potentially
dangerous formation of gas inside the
specialized miniature batteries.
Lithium button cells are a safer,
mercury-free alternative now widely
available, but consumers often opt for
the still cheaper alkaline manganese
variety.
“The use and disposal of mercury-
added button cells are unregulated
at the federal level,” reports the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
“They do not have to be labeled;
it is legal to dispose of them in the
household trash; and they rarely are
collected for recycling in most U.S.
jurisdictions.”
California is currently the only state
that mandates recycling even for
alkaline manganese button cells, but
The Southwest Portland Post • 7
Now that there's no more mercury in disposable alkaline batteries, can they go right into
the garbage? (Photo by Heather Kennedy, FlickrCC)
several other states are considering
regulating their disposal and whether
to subsidize special recycling programs
for them.
But until then, most of the mercury
from these little wonders will end up
in the municipal solid waste stream
and contribute to our ongoing pollution
burden.
Fortunately, the recycling of most
types of rechargeable batteries (which
can contain potentially harmful heavy
metals and other contaminants) remains
easy thanks to an industry-backed
program called Call2Recycle that points
people toward recyclers and retailers
across the U.S. and Canada happy to
take them off your hands at no cost.
CONTACTS: Environmental Health
& Safety Online, www.ehso.com;
Call2Recycle, www.call2recycle.org;
CalRecycle, www.calrecycle.ca.gov/
reducewaste/Batteries/.
EarthTalk® is produced by Doug
Moss & Roddy Scheer and is a registered
trademark of Earth Action Network Inc.
View past columns at: www.earthtalk.
org. Or e-mail us your question: earthtalk@
emagazine.com.
June is busting
out all over!
Father’s Day, weddings, graduations,
farmers markets, sidewalk sales,
outdoor concerts, al fresco dining,
summer vacation, the list goes on.
June is a great time to advertise in
The Post as well.
For more information call Don at
503-244-6933
or Harry at 503-244-4442.
Deadline is May 20.
POST A TO Z BUSINESS CARD DIRECTORY 503-244-6933
9715 SW Barbur Blvd.
Portland, OR 97219-6097
Family &
Cosmetic
Dentistry
503-246-2564
www.mvdentalcare.com
7717฀SW฀34th฀Avenue฀•฀Portland,฀OR฀97219
(Multnomah฀Village฀•฀SW฀Capitol฀Highway฀&฀34th฀Ave.)
Phone: (503) 246-3373
Fax: (503) 246-2767
Rx Hotline: (503) 246-0861
Open 7 days a week
www.pacif icveterinaryhospital.com
Email: clientcare@pacvh.com
The IDEA Today … The SIGN Tomorrow!
•฀SIGNS
•฀BANNERS
•฀GRAPHICS
•฀MAGNETICS
•฀LETTERING
•฀LOGOS฀&฀MORE
503.244.0980
9220 SW Barbur Blvd. #111 - Portland - OR - 97219
Did you know you can insert your
preprinted flier or brochure
in The Post for as little as $350?
Call Don Snedecor at 503-244-6933
for details.
Deadline for June is May 20.
PRECISION HOME REPAIR
& DRYWALL
JON A. GOSCH
Phone: 503-643-3517
E-mail: precision17@frontier.com
Quality work at affordable rates!
Mention this ad and receive 10% off your next job!
Licensed฀•฀Bonded฀•฀Insured฀•฀CCB฀#77073