Place batteries, or products containing batteries, in any process that is not specifically designed to accommodate batteries Store discarded li-ion batteries inside as these have a high risk of short-circuiting and catching fire. Why can’t li-ion batteries be disposed of with normal chemical/industrial waste?
Improper disposal has significant consequences, such as environmental pollution and loss of (material) resources. Lithium is highly reactive and difficult to control.
Dispose of li-ion batteries with ‘regular’ waste. Crush, puncture, throw or do anything to the batteries that might result in electrodes touching and short-circuiting. Mix damaged and non-damaged batteries. Place large numbers of batteries together without proper segregation, as this presents an increased fire hazard.
First, in many cases it can be difficult to remove these batteries from devices because they are bonded to the hardware.
Place a 10 cm layer of dry sand (for lithium-ion) or vermiculite (for other battery types) at the bottom. Then a layer of batteries can be added to the barrel and be covered by a 10 cm layer of dry sand or vermiculite and so on. Remove attached wires. Place battery in a clear plastic bag, or wrap in clear plastic foil.
If batteries are handled incorrectly, there is a higher risk of fire, pollution and other negative effects.
High-capacity batteries can be discharged to reduce the risk of fire or the release of toxic fumes during processing.
Influences such as high temperatures, too high charging voltage, short circuit, or even too much of a heavy strain can cause exothermic reaction – a chemical reaction that releases energy through light or heat – in the battery. In short: it can catch fire rapidly.
Different standards apply in different regions, such as Weeelabex and CENELEC, however waste batteries are covered by European regulation including the WEEE directive and the Batteries directive. Treatment facilities must have the correct permits in place for processing waste batteries.