DO BATTERIES HARM THE ENVIRONMENT ?
Today nearly all consumer batteries, especially primary batteries, are mercury or cadmium free. On the other hand, heavy metals are still essential components in mercury batteries, nickel-cadmium batteries and lead-acid accumulators. These metals may cause damage in the environment if disposed of uncontrolled and in larger quantities. For this reason, batteries in Europe and the USA containing these harmful substances have been collected and recovered separately since 1988, according to a relevant voluntary joint agreement of the trade and the battery industry, and in accordance with a relevant European Directive (No. 91/157) as issued in 1991. In addition, the battery industry is working on the development of alternatives in the aim to replace mercury, cadmium, and lead wherever possible. Already alternative battery systems are available for many applications (e.g. the nickel-metal-hydride and the zinc-air system). Discharged batteries made from these new systems have practically no h
