Battery Facts

A car battery contains 18 pounds of lead and one pound of sulfuric acid.
Household batteries contribute many potentially hazardous compounds to the municipal solid waste stream, including zinc, lead, nickel, alkalines, manganese, cadmium, silver, and mercury.
In 1989, 621.2 tons of household batteries were disposed of in the US, thats double the amount discarded in 1970.
In 1986, 138,000 tons of lead-acid batteries were disposed of in the US. Regular flashlight batteries can be disposed of in the trash, though it is best to take them to a recycler.
Mercury-oxide and silver-oxide button batteries are often collected by jewelers, pharmacies, and hearing-aid stores who sell them to companies that reclaim the metals.
In 1993, 80 to 95% of automobile batteries were recycled.