On the birthday of battery inventor Luigi Galvani we celebrate Battery Recycling Day.
It’s a good time to remember that apart from their value in making our lives easier, improperly disposed batteries are a huge threat to the environment.
They undergo complex chemical processes involving toxic elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury. This poisonous mixture is supplemented by corrosive acids or bases which form the electrolyte.
Unsorted batteries that end up in ‘normal’ sorted rubbish release toxic compounds that end up directly in the soil, contaminating groundwater and exposing us to a range of serious diseases.
Just one small button battery can pollute up to 400 litres of water!
Remember! Never throw batteries into the rubbish, dispose of them in special containers. Take care of our planet and our health!
