Hazardous Effects Of Improper Car Battery Disposal And Why Recycling Is A Must?

• 11 May 2023
• by Melbourne Metal Recycling
• 0 Comments

You don’t have to be Captain Planet to understand that proper waste disposal habits make for a healthier planet and a healthier local environment. One of the biggest problems that landfills and junkyards run into is the improper disposal of cars and car batteries. Car batteries are particularly hazardous when not disposed of properly but most people don’t understand how truly bad it can be. At Melbourne Metal Recycling we take pride in our knowledge of the recycling and disposal industry. So, today we are going to teach you what can go wrong when your car battery is improperly disposed of and then we are going to discuss the benefits of recycling your car and car batteries.

Improper Car Battery Disposal

Alright, we know that batteries are obviously important to the function of our vehicles — they wouldn’t run without them! Car batteries are wondrous little tools but they are also incredibly toxic and incredibly dangerous when improperly disposed of. Automotive batteries are typically going to be wet-cell batteries which means that they are made of lead-acid on the inside. Lead and acid are two extremely hazardous chemicals that can impact both you and the environment around you when improperly handled. These batteries are found in not just cars, but all sorts of automotive vehicles from trucks and four-wheelers to motorcycles. What happens when these batteries are improperly disposed of? Well, we’re glad that you asked. Here are a few of the most common problems resulting from improper car battery disposal.

1) Environmental Chemical Contamination – When your battery is improperly disposed of, the chemicals within the battery will begin to leach out of the soil. This means that corrosive, strong, acids as well as lead gets polluted into the environment. Eventually, this pollution works its way up to the atmosphere and comes back to pollute the environment again via rain.

2) Heavy metal Contamination – Along with acid and lead, your car batteries will also leach out all sorts of heavy metals that will end up tainting the soil and groundwater supply.

3) Physical Damage – Car batteries can also cause immense physical harm if they are stumbled upon by an unwary individual. We are talking burns on your skin if your old battery is improperly handled.

Importance of Recycling

Now that you know how dangerous batteries can be when improperly disposed of, we can talk about the positivity of recycling. By recycling your automotive batteries, you are cleaning up the environment while also putting some equity into your local environment. Take ownership of your old car batteries and reach out to us today, we’ll make sure to get them where they need to go.