Disposing Of Household Batteries

[beaner]

I don't know what to do with my "used" batteries...

Back in Canada you could take them to any electronic store and they would dispose of them appropriately.

I'm wary of doing that here, in Phuket, as I'm almost certain that as soon as I hand them over they would be tossed in a garbage bin.

Any suggestions on how to keep them out of the landfill?

[fiddlehead]

Good question.

And i'm sure most of here are guilty of just throwing them in the garbage as we don't know of any options.

I wonder if you could go ask at the big incinerator on the southeast end of Phuket town near Sapin Hin?

Of course, we don't want them incinerated but maybe they have a recycling bin for them there???

I'll be watching this thread and hopefully someon will have a better answer.

ps. i have a friend who is one of the most humble and respectful Thai people i know. I helped him move last year and noticed he had about 100 used up AA batteries in his old place. I think he just left them there when he moved out because he knew they were bad for the environment but didn't know what to do with them.

Any Greenpeace members here that might know???

[ozymandious]

Found 2 answers in the Gazette's Issues and answers section

First from Sept 2000 -->

Battery disposal?

Where on the island can people dispose of their old batteries?

Maip Enrai jun, Karon Friday, September 15, 2000

“If you are referring to car batteries, then people can bring them to almost any auto shop and trade them for a discount on a new one.

If you are talking about ordinary, smaller batteries, for the time being there is no special way to deal with these as they are mixed with all the other garbage.

However, under a provincial recycling project to be implemented early next year, people will be encouraged to separate their garbage, including old batteries.”

Friday, September 15, 2000 Prachoom Suriya, Health and Sanitation officer, Phuket Town Municipality

Second From Jan 2009-->

Where can I recycle batteries?

I would like to know where to take batteries and lamps to be recycled.

Paolo Masetti, Phuket Thursday, January 22, 2009

“In Phuket City we provide special bins in government schools and hotels to separate toxic waste. Phuket City municipality collects the material and and sends it to Saraburi where it is safely disposed of. In areas that do not have the specially designated bins at this time, you should place any toxic waste in a plastic bag and take it to the nearest hotel or municipality office in your area. We will then collect it and transfer it to the Phuket City municipality. It is important that you do not destroy it yourself or dispose of it by burying it in the ground.

For more information on toxic waste management contact Phuket Provincial Public Health Office on Narisorn Rd (Tel: 076-211330, Email: [email protected]) ”

Thursday, January 22, 2009 Somporn Sakayawikrom, sanitation officer of the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office

[BigSnake]

Guilty as HECK I just toss them in the bins I wonder thur out the Kindgom where you can dispose of them properly.

[2008bangkok]

Is this a wind up?????????????????

[MisterMan]

I work at a hotel. Please don't bring them here. I am sure the staff would have no idea why some farang was bringing old batteries. Ask the Evason.. they are very very green.. as we aspire to be.

[geriatrickid]

One solution is to try and use batteries that are mercury and cadmium free such as Energizer or Duracell. Energizer also has a resource sheet at the website that provides replacement options for the mercury type batteries. Energizer has offices in Thailand and an environmental sustainability program

Avoid the domestic sourced batteries particularly those from China since they can and do contain heavy metals.

Duracell offers the following advice;

General Purpose & Alkaline Batteries

Alkaline batteries can be safely disposed of with normal household waste. Due to concerns about mercury in the municipal solid waste stream, Duracell has voluntarily eliminated all of the added mercury from its alkaline batteries since 1993 — while maintaining the performance you demand. Our alkaline batteries are composed primarily of common metals — steel, zinc and manganese — and do not pose a health or environmental risk during normal use or disposal.

It is important not to dispose of large amounts of alkaline batteries in a group. Used batteries are often not completely "dead." Grouping used batteries together can bring these "live" batteries into contact with one another, creating safety risks.

Proven cost-effective and environmentally safe recycling processes are not yet universally available for alkaline batteries.

Lithium, Lithium Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride & Zinc Air Batteries

These batteries may be safely disposed of in normal household waste.

Trust this helps.

[Valentine]

I have two UPS machines that have bit the dust & for which I have been keeping for a few months. Does anyone know what to do with them?