Recycling batteries grows in importance
Monday, August 4, 2008
By Rick Wills
Tribune-Review

The iPods, cell phones and laptops that are so ubiquitous today have two things in common: They are powered by batteries. And those batteries eventually die.

That's where people such as David Speer come in.

"People pretty much know that you are not supposed to just throw batteries away. They often just don't know what to do with them," said Speer, owner of the Batteries Plus franchise in the Pittsburgh area, with locations in Castle Shannon, Monroeville and Ross.

Speer and some recycling advocates say the garbage bin is becoming less of an option.

Each week, about 10,000 pounds of used batteries move through his Castle Shannon store, which is a retail outlet that sells batteries used for everything from hospital emergency generators to road sensors installed by the Army in Afghanistan.

The store's basement has bins filled with batteries ranging in size from lead cells used for cars and chainsaws to the AAA alkalines that power portable radios.

Many come from Speer's corporate clients, which have included FedEx, Duquesne Light and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

"UPMC relies on batteries for all kinds of things. Nearly everything they do requires backup power generation, and that means lots and lots of batteries," he said.

Every two years, Allegheny County has to recycle the batteries that back up the computer and communications system in its 911 center.

"We have about 150 batteries -- they are about the size of car batteries -- in a room here for backup power. They are only used until a generator comes on," said Gary Sawicki, a shift commander at the center.

State law requires recycling of larger batteries and those with more toxic material, such as lead-acid car batteries.

"But we ask people to recycle rechargeable batteries," said Charlie Young, a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The state encourages people to recycle rechargeable nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lithium ion and small sealed lead batteries.

"I think a lot of people do throw batteries in the garbage," said Joy Smallwood, Allegheny County's recycling coordinator. "But a lot of people really don't want to. I get a lot of calls from people who just do not want to throw batteries away."

More stringent battery disposal laws are only a matter of time, Speer said.

"Recycling alkalines is already required in some states, like California," he said. "I imagine there will be such a law here before too long."

Batteries often contain mercury, lead, cadmium and nickel. When incinerated, certain metals might be released into the air or can concentrate in ash produced by combustion. Metals can seep from landfills into water supplies.

National chains such as Best Buy and automotive repair shops such as Pep Boys take used batteries. Many chains offer rebates to customers who bring in used batteries.

"If they are offering rebates if you bring batteries, it's not totally worthless to them to collect old batteries," Smallwood said.

The county collects batteries at its hard-to-recycle pickup events three times a year. And towns such as Richland and Mt. Lebanon offer sites where people can drop off old batteries.

"There is definitely a need for more places where people can take various types of batteries," Smallwood said. "And when there are more places, people need to know where they are."

Rick Wills can be reached at rwills@tribweb.com or 724-779-7123.