Batteries contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals, including mercury and lead, which can cause life-threatening diseases and birth defects. Children and pregnant women are most at risk from these potent neurotoxins. More than 3 billion batteries are sold annually in the U.S. alone, and batteries contribute 88% of the mercury present in municipal waste.
Living far from a landfill doesn’t mean you’re safe. Heavy metals can become airborne if incinerated, can leach into water supplies if buried or abandoned, and do poison our food chain. For example, as larger fish eat smaller fish, the toxins in their bodies become more concentrated.
The more we each do to stop the spread of toxic materials, the healthier we’ll all be.
There is a Drop Box in the City Hall parking lot available to dispose of batteries.
Accepted battery types include:
- AAA
- AA
- B
- C
- D
- 9-volt
