• Accident Reporting
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• General Safety
• Glass
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  • Material Safety Data Sheets
  • Hazardous Waste Disposal
  • Compressed Gas Cylinders
  • Responsibilities for Reporting and Notification on the Event of a Chemical or Biological Material Spill in or Outside a University Building or Facility
  • Guidelines for Managing Potentially Hazardous Items Presented to Salvage and Surplus
  • Mercury Thermometer Exchange Program
  • Disposal of Batteries
  • Broken Mercury Thermometers
• Laboratory Safety
• Lead
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Radiation
• Restricted Entry Areas
• Right to Know
• Safety Committee
• Safety Concerns - Animal Areas
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• Winter Safety

Disposal of Used Batteries

Purpose:

To explain the procedures for disposing of used batteries.

Policies and Procedures: (How should I dispose of used batteries?)

There are six types of batteries found at Penn State University. These batteries are identified as follows:

Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) Batteries: rechargeable batteries typically used in beepers, two-way radios, laptop computers, cellular phones, camcorders and some medical equipment. These batteries contain cadmium, a heavy metal that is considered hazardous. They must be disposed of through the EHS department as hazardous waste.

Lead Acid Batteries: typically used in some medical equipment, motorized vehicles such as cars, golf carts. These batteries are also used in some older cellular phones and camcorders. These batteries contain lead that is considered hazardous. They must be disposed of through the EHS department as hazardous waste.

Mercury Batteries: Typically used to power telemetry monitoring devices and hearing aids. These batteries contain mercury, a heavy metal that is considered hazardous. They must be disposed of through the EHS department as hazardous waste.

Household (Alkaline) Batteries: The most commonly used non-rechargeable battery. Used typically to power radios, flash lights, and most office equipment. These batteries do not contain hazardous substances in sufficient amount to warrant special disposal arrangements and may be disposed of in the regular trash. The University is investigating recycling options but nothing is currently available.

Zinc Air Batteries: Used as an "environmentally friendly" substitute to replace mercury batteries in telemetry units and some other electronic equipment. These batteries do not contain hazardous substances and may be disposed in the regular trash.

Lithium Batteries: Used in some diagnostic equipment. These batteries (if containing less than 5 grams/cell of lithium) do not contain hazardous substances in sufficient amount to warrant special disposal arrangements and may be disposed in the regular trash.

Date of Policy: