Latest / Kendall County News - Shaw Local / New law expands free battery recycling options statewide
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- 0:05Speaker 1: New law expands free battery recycling options statewide. Written by
- 0:11Marcus Jackson, this article is being read by an automated
- 0:16voice brought to you by Everlett. The Portable and Medium
- 0:22Format Battery Stewardship Act went into effect in January. Hey
- 0:28It's just a stovative. Illinois is the sixteenth state to
- 0:30pass a law. The law regulates the safe collection, recycling,
- 0:34and management of batteries, including those in small, everyday electronics
- 0:37like phones and laptop computers. The law requires companies that
- 0:42sell batteries or products with batteries to pay into a
- 0:45Battery Stewardship organization to cover the costs of the statewide
- 0:48collection program. Batteries are widely available in different sizes and
- 0:54for varying uses, from hearing aids to electric toothbrushes to
- 0:57e bikes, which can make safe disposal confus using. Alkaline batteries,
- 1:03including AA and triple A batteries, cannot be recycled the
- 1:07same way as rechargeable lithium ion batteries, which are commonly
- 1:11used in portable electronics such as tablets and cordless power tools.
- 1:16Battery drop off locations in Illinois are listed on the
- 1:20Battery Network website at Battery network dot org, slashed stewards,
- 1:24slash date dash recycling laws. These facilities will package the
- 1:28batteries and ship them to recycling facilities. Batteries contain mine
- 1:34metals and minerals that pose environmental and safety risks if
- 1:37not recycled. Recycling reuses these materials, reducing the need for
- 1:41new mining. Alkaline batteries can leak toxic chemicals into the environment.
- 1:47Remove batteries from devices that won't be used for months,
- 1:50such as toys, flashlights, and remotes. Batteries also pose fire
- 1:55and explosion risks in trash and recycling bins when crushed
- 1:59or overheated. Putting batteries in the garbage is illegal under
- 2:02Illinois law. Retailers, municipalities, businesses, and community organizations accept batteries
- 2:11for recycling. The facilities vary in what types they accept,
- 2:14single use or rechargeable household batteries, larger rechargeable products, car batteries,
- 2:20or damaged batteries. Store used batteries in a cool, dry
- 2:25place and recycle them every six months. Separate alkaline and
- 2:29rechargeable batteries. Cover battery terminals with clear packing tape, duct tape,
- 2:34or electrical tape to reduce fire risk. Small batteries can
- 2:38be placed in individual plastic bags. For more information, visit
- 2:44the Illinois Products Stewardship Council at Illinois ps dot org
- 2:47slash Batteries