Learning About Recycling Services
About Me
Learning About Recycling Services

Hello, I am Jolene Bonnell. I am going to use my site to discuss all of the techniques and tools you can use to recycle waste. There are a number of recycling programs in each community. You can recycle your electronics, scrap metal, cardboard and textiles if you know where to find your local drop off points. Some communities even provide food waste recycling services that turn old food into compost. I hope you can use the information on my site to increase the amount of waste you recycle at the proper venues. Thanks for visiting. I hope to see you again soon.

Learning About Recycling Services

Three Interesting Facts About Batteries

Nelli Joki

If you think about it, there are a lot of things in your life that use batteries. Cell phones, remote controls, smoke detectors, and basically anything else that doesn't plug in. Not only do batteries add convenience to your life, but they are incredibly easy to use. Because batteries seem to have been around forever, you probably don't give much thought to them, until that is, your battery dies and you need to recharge or replace it. There are some things however, that are quite interesting about batteries.

Here are three interesting facts you might not know about these convenient little household items.

Modern Day Batteries Have Been Around for Over 200 Years

History buffs may argue that the very first battery was used 2,000 years ago in the Parthian empire. The Parthian battery consisted of a clay jar, vinegar solution, an iron rod, and a copper cylinder, which all worked together to produce up to 2.0 volts of electricity. Batteries that more closely resemble the ones we use today, however, were invented in the year 1800 by Alessandro Volta, an Italian physicist.

In 1802, a Scottish chemist by the name of William Cruickshank, was the first to design the first mass-produced electric battery. The rechargeable battery was invented in 1836 by an English chemist named John F. Daniell.

Billions of Batteries Get Purchased Every Year

Batteries are big business in the United States, where 3 billion dry-cell batteries get purchased each year. Some of the most commonly-used types of rechargeable batteries include Lithium-Ion and Nickel Cadmium. Commonly-used non-rechargeable batteries include Alkaline, Lithium, and Silver Oxide. There are also a variety of industrial batteries, as well as vehicle batteries.

Despite the fact that Americans use billions of batteries, the United States isn't the one making them. Instead, China, Japan, and South Korea produce about 85% of the world's lithium-ion batteries, which are commonly used in electronics.

Batteries Pose a Huge Concern for the Environment

Some batteries consist of metals that are toxic for the environment. This is especially true of batteries made with lead and cadmium. Because of this concern for the environment, Europe banned the use of batteries made with nickel-cadmium in 2009. Besides banning batteries however, recycling them can be very beneficial. In the United States, more than 97% of batteries made with lead get recycled.

When it comes to battery recycling, one of the best ways to recycle them is to find a drop-off location for used batteries. These locations are usually found at either hardware or electronics stores. 


Share