Properly disposing of the car battery is certainly a delicate operation, especially for those who find themselves changing the part themselves and need to get rid of the old one.
In fact, when a professional changes the battery in our car, he also has the obligation to collect and dispose of the old one, at no additional cost for the customer. But how to dispose of the car battery if we decide to replace it independently?
First of all, we specify that the old battery should never be abandoned in the environment, not even near the common bins for the undifferentiated as, being composed of highly harmful materials, it cannot end up in landfills but needs to be recycled according to an ad hoc process. . This is the reason why those who leave the batteries on the street are liable to very heavy penalties, in the event that they are reported or caught red-handed directly by the police.
The batteries of the machines contain pollutants, heavy metals such as lead and various acids, including sulfuric acid. Despite these harmful elements, 90% of exhausted batteries can be recycled, thus recovering about half of the components present in them. Properly disposing of the old battery means recycling and recovering materials that are still reusable, including lead itself, which can be used in different ways in numerous sectors to recreate new batteries or in chemistry and general construction.
This would lead to considerable economic savings, but above all it would reduce the amount of new plastic, various acids, lead and other materials used in practically all the batteries of existing cars.
How and where is the car battery safely disposed of?
There are several ways to dispose of the car battery, depending on your needs you can choose the method that’s right for you.
Disposal at the collection point – In the first case, the waste collection company in the municipality of belonging must be contacted; after finding the nearest collection point, just take the battery to the appropriate battery collection bin, in order to dispose of it properly. Those who live near the collection points can easily choose this solution and safely get rid of the car battery. An alternative to dispose of car batteries in peace and in compliance with the law, is proposed by Cobat (Compulsory Consortium for Exhausted Lead Batteries and Lead Waste): this service is offered through the various collection points that can be found all over Italy.
Disposal of Private Car Batteries – It is possible to request the waste battery disposal service from private companies, which will take care of the collection and subsequent disposal in accordance with the law. The service is convenient and is aimed at individuals and companies. In addition, you can ask your trusted auto electrician to dispose of your battery, respecting nature. In some cities, you can also contact a private company to take your exhausted battery and dispose of it.
Car battery delivery to the dealer – The last method to be able to properly dispose of a battery is to ask your trusted dealer if he performs this service, if he does, he will collect the battery directly and take care of its proper disposal. The withdrawal by the shopkeeper must absolutely not be paid, since when you buy the battery the cost of waste disposal is already paid, consequently disposing of a battery correctly costs nothing, but above all it will not cause irreparable damage to nature.
