88 percent of the total mercury and half of the total cadmium in the municipal solid waste stream comes from discarded batteries.

621.2 tons of household batteries were disposed of (not recycled) in 1989. That’s twice the amount thrown out in 1970, and was nearly doubled again in 1995.

Why is this important?

As consumers we are more conscious than ever about manufacturing and production. If you're here, reading this, you're an informed consumer or are endeavoring to be so. You are looking for recycled materials in your purchases. You are using less electricity to minimize greenhouse emissions (and your utility bill). Based on statistical data, you have probably even put off buying that new SUV. Certainly, you know about metal poisoning, and why lead is no longer in paint, and have heard of mercury poisoning in fish.
What you may not know is how much toxic metals poisoning reported in the eighties was from batteries breaking down in landfills. Landfills make old batteries more toxic. Since then, the EPA has addressed many of these issues, and companies have had to put mandatory controls in place to change the practices associated with polluting industries. All well and good. But.

In the seventies and eighties, we saw a good number of reclamation facilities for recycling, but in recent years--where have they gone? Overseas, mostly Central and South America, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Wages are low and policing of safety, health, and environmental issues is spotty. Most reclamation is privatized, the exception being states where batteries constitute hazardous household waste. (In those states batteries go to landfills where they are handled a bit more safely.)

Lead-acid batteries destined for recycling are sold to other nations for processing and the second use materials are sold off by them, as the market for such materials is too poor for companies to turn a profit from the process on American soil.

So how do we address the issue?

One method is also a money-saving strategy: recharge them. Twenty years ago, rechargeable batteries were very expensive, compared to their non-rechargeable counterparts. Chargers were expensive and bulky, and charge life was inconsistent. Sales were poor. However, as uses of different heavy metals and chemical electrolytes became more advanced, rechargeable batteries became more practical and used more widely. Now we have power tools, cameras, cell phones, even battery powered cars that come with rechargeable batteries equipped. If you take simple steps with using correct charging/draining practices, it isn't unreasonable to believe that you'll dispose of the appliance before the battery life expires.

Batteries, even rechargeable ones, are a breed full of variety. Let's look at different battery types and how they are handled for disposal.