Batteries can cause a lot of environmental issues. The good news is that there are solutions in place now which can help reduce the problems caused by disposed of batteries.
Do you know how many batteries are thrown away by Americans each year?
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Americans manage to get rid of 3 billion batteries each year. Yes, you read that right, that’s billion with a “b,” which translates to roughly 180,000 tons each year of used-up batteries. That’s like an entire mountain of piled up old batteries!
How can so much waste impact the environment?
This article looks into the effect of batteries in the environment and what we can do to lessen their effect.
The Massive Impact
The sheer amount of the batteries being disposed of each year is a problem already, and the fact that these batteries contain highly toxic materials complicates it further. If not handled properly, they cause not only pollution but also serious contamination.
The problem with throwing away batteries and other waste materials is that they still have to go somewhere. They don’t just magically vanish. They end up in landfills, which no longer has enough space.
Then there is the fact that these batteries contain materials that can harm humans and the environment. What are some of the materials inside batteries that can be problematic? Here are a few:
- Cadmium
- Mercury
- Lead
- Lithium
These materials are highly toxic and can pose dangers to human health and the environment if they are not disposed of properly.
The impact of batteries on the environment is measurable using four indicators. Those indicators are:
- Natural resources consumption
- Climate change
- Air pollution
- Water pollution
It would help to check these indicators in depth.
Natural Resources Consumption
The manufacturing of batteries requires several materials, many of which are sourced from the mining industry. The extraction of these materials alone can already have some serious environmental effects. The ramping up of the production of batteries also means that the environment has to suffer more damage.
Even the more environmentally friendly method of extracting resources can still leave considerable damage to the environment in their wake.
Climate Change
The making of so many batteries can also have an impact on climate change and global warming. The factories that make modern batteries emit pollutants that contribute to the greenhouse effect, causing climate change and global warming. You may not feel the effects of global warming right now, but in other parts of the world, it is causing a major disruption in the lives of people.
Air Pollution
The manufacturing of batteries can make air pollution worse in the area where they are conducted. Air pollution is still a significant problem in some cities in developing and developed countries since it can cause serious diseases.
Water Pollution
Batteries contain toxins, which can be very harmful if they end up in the water system and bodies of water. Because of this, old batteries must be handled and disposed of properly to make sure they do not get to contaminate the water supply. Unfortunately, even properly disposed of batteries can still cause water pollution.
The BIDI® Stick Battery
Most batteries in e-cigarettes contain heavy metals that need extensive treatment to remove all their residual metals. We did our research on how we can improve the recyclability and ensured every BIDI® Stick contains a high-quality battery that has been certified by FCC, CE, and ROHS.
This is our way to promote the importance of recycling batteries for you and the environment. The battery used in a BIDI® Stick is a cellphone-grade battery that is even better than a rechargeable battery and could be recycled for years!
The BIDI® Cares Recycling Program
Bidi Vapor has seen the problem of improper battery disposal, which is why we have been using strong materials to increase the recyclability of the batteries in our BIDI® Sticks.
We know that we have to do more, which is why we have launched the BIDI® Cares movement.
Batteries can have an impact on the environment, but we can lessen its impact with initiatives like the BIDI® Cares Recycling Program.
Contact us now for more information. Join the movement now!