Doing Things Differently: The Battery Network
Don't put your batteries in the trash! In landfills, batteries break down and leak harmful chemicals, and heavy metals like cadmium and lead can contaminate the groundwater supply. Plus they have to potential to short out and generate massive fires.
This January, Illinois became the 16th state to pass a law that requires companies that sell batteries/products with batteries to pay into a statewide battery stewardship organization to make safe battery recycling free! By 2028, it will be illegal to throw portable and medium format batteries in the regular trash. But you should really stop now, of course.
The Battery Network is the state-approved stewardship program that allows consumers to recycle all household batteries through a network of drop-off locations, which will package loose batteries and ship them to recycling facilities.
The Plant is now a registered drop off location! Our box is in the lobby, and please email us if you have questions or need to recycle a large quantity of batteries.
This system not only reduces environmental risks, but recycling batteries reuses the metals and minerals, thereby reducing the need for newly mined materials. A win-win!