How Electrochemical Cells are Recycled

Batteries, sometimes called dry cells, are useful portable power sources for almost any consumer electronic product such as mobile phones, laptops, watches, and cameras. Unfortunately, dry cells do not last forever. When they run out, people usually throw them away. But today, with the world becoming more environmentally conscious, many countries now use technologies that enable them to recycle these small electrochemical power sources, saving millions of tons of material from ending up in landfills.

Both non-rechargeable and rechargeable batteries can be recycled using a technology called thermal recovery. It is an approved method that is considered by many countries as one of the best demonstrated available technologies with regards to dry cell recycling. In a facility that makes use of this process, the used units are first separated by type. Each group of batteries are then placed into a special furnace. They are introduced to a high-temperature process that separates reusable metals such as cadmium, lead, iron, nickel, and cobalt. Plastics, gels, papers, and other materials that are non-metal are burned and vaporised by the high temperature.

The usable metals are then taken out of the furnace by a special extraction system and then packed in special containers. Manufacturers then buy the recycled metal in bulk so these items could be made into new batteries.

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