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  Rechargeable batteries, like cell phone batteries, can be recycled at special drop-off boxes like this on the North, South and Downtown campuses.

By LAUREN NEWKIRK MAYNARD

Published: November 10, 2011

We all do it. Pull them out of dead flashlights and toss them into the trash. Stash them in desk drawers. Or, like this writer, leave a motley collection in an unmarked plastic baggie, thinking “I’ll pitch these later, once I figure out how to do it safely.”

There has never been an easy answer for how to lay the garden-variety AA battery to rest. And forget about the rechargeables—including cell phone batteries. Once their life has been drained for good, what do you do with them?

At UB, the mystery is finally over.

While other institutions scramble to prepare for a 2011 New York State battery recycling policy taking effect this December, UB’s Office of Environment, Health and Safety (EHS), in conjunction with UB Facilities, has had a comprehensive battery recycling program in place for a number of years.

“We’ve been wrestling with this for several years because people just didn’t know,” says Tony Oswald, EHS hazardous materials manager. “I still regularly field calls from various members of the university community wondering why we don’t have a recycling plan for batteries, when in fact we do.”

UB recycles three categories of batteries, including the common alkaline or carbon zinc batteries (AA, AAA, C, D or 9-V) found in most small electronics; sealed, lead-acid types commonly used for battery backups; and the rechargeable batteries found in power tools, cellular phones, laptops and other portable instruments. UB Facilities picks up around 2,000 pounds of alkaline batteries a year collected in white, plastic tubs from 11 locations on the North and South campuses and then sent to a local recycling center for processing.

UB pays up to 75 and 90 cents per pound for alkaline batteries to be recycled at the same facility as all campus recycling waste. “It’s just the right thing to do,” says Oswald, who adds that a new vendor will be brought on campus next month to deal specifically with alkaline recycling.

Whereas alkaline batteries contain a relatively small amount of metal, most rechargeable batteries contain toxic metals that can be released into the environment when improperly disposed. There are certain environmental regulations that must be followed when recycling rechargeable batteries, which fall under a federal “universal waste” designation that also applies to pesticides and mercury-containing equipment, including compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

“The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Universal Waste regulations have been in place for years,” Oswald explains. “This regulation prohibits any business/school or commercial entity from improperly disposing of batteries with potentially hazardous heavy metals like lead acid, mercury cadmium and nickel.”

The state’s Rechargeable Battery Recycling Act, which will take effect Dec. 5, requires manufacturers of covered rechargeable batteries to collect and recycle the batteries statewide at no cost to consumers.

UB recycles 250 pounds of used rechargeable batteries every year, collecting them at special drop-off boxes at 111 Sherman Hall and 220 Winspear Ave. on the South Campus, and at the information desk at the Student Union on the North Campus. Boxes also are located at the Research Institute for Addictions and the Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences on the Downtown Campus.

Rechargeable recycling is provided free of charge to UB through Call2Recycle, a program of the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corp. (RBRC), a non-profit public service organization paid for by a consortium of North American rechargeable battery companies. Last year, Call2Recycle collected 6.7 million pounds of rechargeable batteries for recycling.

The EHS office oversees UB’s Call2Recycle boxes, which also can be found at national home improvement chains like Home Depot and Sears. The RBRC sends the collected batteries to a recycler in Pennsylvania.

“If we had to send these out with regular recycling, it would cost us,” Oswald says.

Batteries may be small in size, but recycling them can play a large role in how UB continues to improve its recycling track record, says Jim Simon, associate environmental educator for the Office of Sustainability. “This is another example of an effective, environmentally friendly program that improves UB’s footprint for the future. It’s an easy, convenient way to become part of the culture of sustainability at UB.”

Information including a list of recycling drop-off points, battery criteria and general recycling tips is available on the EHS website, or by calling 829-3301.