Environmental 360 Solutions Ltd.

What's Inside A Battery?

A typical battery needs 3 parts to create electricity:

• Anode - negative side of the battery
• Cathode - positive side of the battery
• Electrolyte - a chemical paste that separates the anode and cathode and transforms chemical energy into electrical energy

There are recoverable resources inside of each battery regardless of its type

Take a single-use alkaline battery for instance. These are the non-rechargeable type batteries that come in AAA, AA, C, D, 9 volt and various button cell sizes.

On average, 25% of the battery is made up of steel (casing). Did you know that steel can be recycled infinitely? Our mechanical process is able to recover 100% of the steel in each battery for reuse.

60% of the battery is made up of a combination of materials like zinc (anode), manganese (cathode) and potassium. These materials are all earth elements. This combination of material is 100% recovered and reused as a micro-nutrient in the production of fertilizer to grow corn.

The remaining 15% by weight is made up of paper and plastic (label and protective cover). These materials are sent to an energy from waste facility to create electricity.

When you recycle your alkaline batteries at Environmental 360 Solutions, you can be certain that 100% of each battery is being reused and no materials are going to landfill.

Do you live in Ontario, Canada? 

If you're a resident of Ontario, you can recycle non-embedded primary and rechargeable batteries weighing less than 5 kilograms for free at many stores and municipal facilities across the Province. Simply type your postal code or city name into our search tool. If you live outside of Ontario, check with your local municipality to find your closest recycling point.