After an extended family stay at a local hospital I was truly amazed at the volume of alkaline batteries all the various monitors and beeping devises consumed in our room alone but more so at the lack of recycling or at least waste stream segregation for these problematic items.
My question is there a good reuse for these and if so what locations are available in Tulsa.
KHC
Ps They did recycle paper.
The MET accepts batteries.
A nurse friend gave me a ziploc bag of used batteries. Been using them for months and i'm still not half down it. Unfortunately, I've had to throw them away when Im done.
This is gonna be a huge problem in just a very few more years. Much bigger than mercury, lead or asbestos. Just wait - you heard it here first!
Another biggie heading our way is the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industry. There has been some movement toward the elimination of lead, and the rest of the world is well along in the process (RoHS is catch phrase). But, as always, we are the ones lagging behind in doing what we know needs to be done, will eventually HAVE to be done, but refuse to do it. Lead is still a huge component in electronic manufacturing in this country. Most of the rest of the world is lead free - for several years.
Gotta have my iPad!!!
Interesting bit of info. Since it is 14 years old, the problems have dramatically increased with massive increases in use of electronics.
http://www.miga.org/documents/ElectronicsManufacturing.pdf
But hey, regulations to actually help might just be another one of those pesky "unwarranted government intrusions" we hear so much about from... well, you know who we hear it from!
The M.e.t. accepts all kinds of batteries, but can legally only accept them from residences.
I am sending 62 drums of them to the recycling company next Wednesday. It is costing us over $15,000 and I do it every ten months or so.
Batteries are terrible in a landfill, but even wirse in a burn plant like Tulsa uses.
Quote from: RecycleMichael on December 08, 2011, 10:03:43 AM
The M.e.t. accepts all kinds of batteries, but can legally only accept them from residences.
I am sending 62 drums of them to the recycling company next Wednesday. It is costing us over $15,000 and I do it every ten months or so.
Batteries are terrible in a landfill, but even wirse in a burn plant like Tulsa uses.
I'm curious, why can you only accept them from residences? And what are the options for businesses?
There are rules that allow me to accept hazardous materials that are residentially generated without them being legally hazardous. Businesses do not have that option.
Businesses can legally dispose of materials through a number of outlets. One of them is a company in west Tulsa named Stericycle.
Quote from: heironymouspasparagus on December 08, 2011, 09:48:02 AM
Another biggie heading our way is the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industry. There has been some movement toward the elimination of lead, and the rest of the world is well along in the process (RoHS is catch phrase). But, as always, we are the ones lagging behind in doing what we know needs to be done, will eventually HAVE to be done, but refuse to do it. Lead is still a huge component in electronic manufacturing in this country. Most of the rest of the world is lead free - for several years.
Luckily, the eurozone is a large enough market that it's hard to find (consumer) electronics these days that aren't RoHS compliant.