When people think of recycling they usually think about paper, plastic, and aluminum, but one of the biggest threats to the environment may be in your hand right now. Batteries are piling into landfills by the ton which creates many unique environmental threats. Some are unsure how to recycle batteries while others didn’t know it was possible or simply don’t care. Either way millions of tons of batteries are getting dumped into the landfills around the world. Local councils around the United Kingdom are stepping up their efforts to increase battery recycling and awareness.
Most people wouldn’t think that a few small batteries could add up to much, but each year more than six hundred million batteries are dumped into the landfills. In size alone this many batteries would equal the size of over one hundred jumbo jets. When batteries decompose they leak harmful chemicals into the soil that can eventually find their way into water systems. Not only can these chemicals destroy wildlife and kill animals, they also seep into drinking water and are thought to cause many life threatening illnesses in humans. Some councils around the United Kingdom are trying to educate their citizens on the importance of battery recycling.
The East Devon District Council is working within the Government’s WRAP program (Waste and Resources Action Program) and has created what will be the largest battery recycling program in all of Britain. East Devon has a number of facilities for recycling batteries and is one of the only councils in the United Kingdom to offer door to door collection of used batteries.
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