Hazardous Waste Disposal

[mommywoman]

I wonder about the battery component of ecig. Since they do have batteries,is it ok to dispose of them in the garbage? Where I live, we have hazardous waste disposal 2 times a year. Normally they take regular batteries. I am wondering about the battery of an ecig. Since it is encase in plastic (?) Would it still qualify as battery hazardous waste?

 

[Underwhelmed]

You can just take them to Radio Shack as you would any rechargeable battery.

 

[Eddie.Willers]

...Since it is encase in plastic (?) Would it still qualify as battery hazardous waste?

Batteries are batteries are batteries - the 'hazardous waste' part is the chemical contents inside the casing. It doesn't matter what the case material is made of, it's the guts of the battery they don't want in the landfill.

 

[mommywoman]

Thanks for the info, I would have never thought of taking them to Radio Shack.

 

[mommywoman]

Thank you for the information. I know batteries can be recycled cause I do that 2x every year but those batteries aren't inside anything, so I just didn't know if the outside would make a diff to the recycle center.

 

[atavanhalen]

Last time I was at best buy, they had a little recycling center for batteries right near the entrance, I am actually gonna take some of my old batts up there soon.

I am in Michigan too so even if it is a regional thing, we are in the same state

Not sure if you would be comfortable doing this but if you can get your old ecigs taken apart, you would be able to just take the battery portion into the recycling place. Its easy to tell what part is the battery once you get it open.

 

[six]

Lithium Ion batteries are non-hazardous waste according to the EPA and can be thrown away. They are fine in the land fill. The only hazard they present is that they will usually blow up when incinerated. So, if you burn some of your own trash, you should be aware of that so you don't get hit by shrapnel or flying flaming debris. It isn't a much of a concern for commercial garbage incinerators just because of the way they work. If you're close enough to the fire of a commercial incinerator to get hit with battery shrapnel, then you were already cooked well done anyway