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Used Batteries
Batteries
Batteries contain sulfuric acid and lead. Both of these materials can damage the environment and pose a safety hazard if handled improperly.
The Dangers
About one-quarter of the average lead-acid battery is composed of sulfuric acid. Sulphuric acid is a corrosive liquid which can sterilize soils and cause severe burns to skin. Also, sulfuric acid mists are a suspected carcinogen.
Another two-thirds of the average battery is made up of lead or lead compounds. Lead, a heavy metal, can be fatal if ingested or absorbed through the skin. In the environment, lead does not degrade naturally and may accumulate, causing soil and water to become contaminated.
Recycling and Disposal
Every year in the Yukon we dispose of about 6,400 used lead-acid batteries. This amounts to about 106 tonnes of batteries, containing about 71 tonnes of lead and 26 tonnes of acid.
Currently, about 90 percent of batteries in Canada are recycled. The goal is to recycle all lead-acid batteries, thus preventing large amounts of lead and sulfuric acid from contaminating the environment.
Regulations
Under the Yukon Special Waste Regulations, you must have a Special Waste Permit if you handle more than five kilograms of lead-acid batteries per month.
What You Can Do
When storing batteries, or preparing them for shipment, follow the steps outlined below to help prevent leaks and spills and to avoid contamination of the storage site:
- Place batteries in secondary containment (i.e. on a liner or berm) that will not allow the acid to escape.
- Place the batteries on wooden pallets. Do not make stacks of batteries more than three layers thick . Separate each layer with a sheet of plywood or other suitable material.
- Layers of pallets should not be stacked more than two high.
- Before putting waste batteries on the pallet, place enough plastic sheeting on it to completely enclose all of the batteries in a continuous sheet of plastic. All sides must be wrapped to protect the batteries from the weather and to prevent any acid from being discharged into the environment.
- After wrapping the batteries in plastic, strap the stack of batteries to the pallet to prevent the batteries from shifting.
Contaminated Sites
A battery storage area can be contaminated by either small continuous releases of special waste such as acid or lead, or by one large spill. Cleaning up a contaminated site costs more money than installing secondary containment or packaging used batteries properly in the first place.
Spills
If a special waste is spilled, the person who possesses the waste, or is in control of it at the time of the spill, must report the incident. Containment and clean-up action should begin as soon as possible to protect human health and the natural environment.
Spills must be reported immediately to the |