Environmental Science
How Rechargeable Battery Recycling Reduces Heavy Metal Pollution
Quick fact
Recycling one million rechargeable batteries can recover around 16,000 kg of cobalt and 10,000 kg of nickel, metals that would otherwise end up in landfills and potentially leach into groundwater.
Why this is interesting
You probably have several rechargeable batteries in your home—in phones, laptops, or toys. But what happens when they're no longer useful? Did you know that tossing them in the trash can release toxic heavy metals into the environment?