Don’t Toss Away Your Old Phones.
They May Be Toxic!
Well not the actual phone, but its power source. The
rechargeable battery in that powers cell and cordless phones contains nickel-cadmium
(NiCad), which is a very toxic substance.
If you throw these batteries in the garbage they will either be
incinerated, releasing the toxins in the air, or put in a landfill,
eventually entering our soil and water stream.
Most
rechargeable batteries
contain NiCad and are most commonly found in:
ü
Cell Phones
ü
Cordless Phones
ü
Power Tools
ü
Laptops
ü
Camcorders
ü
Any cordless
product you plug into the wall to be charged
How are
NiCads harmful?1
-
High
levels of cadmium in the air, damages the lungs and can cause
death.
-
Eating
food or drinking water with very high levels of cadmium severely
irritates the stomach.
-
Long-term
exposure to lower levels
of cadmium in air, food, or water leads to a buildup of cadmium in the
kidneys and possible kidney disease.
-
Other
long-term effects are lung damage and fragile bones.
1 Sustainable Development International - www.sustdev.org/industry.news/082001/28.03.shtml
Where I
Can Recycle Rechargeable Batteries?
Find
Your Local Recycler –
There are currently over 400 collection sites in Massachusetts that
are free to residents. Call 800-8-BATTERY for the nearest retail
collection location; or call your local Radio Shack.
Contact
Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) – RBRC
is a non-profit committed to helping consumers and businesses properly
recycle NiCads. Visit their Business
and Public Agency Recycling Plan page today at: www.rbrc.org/bpa/signup.html
or call toll free: (877) 723-1297.
|
