litium battery disposal

[asesor]

Have about 30 packages of 5 each of lithium batteries ( Sulfur Chloride type). Need to dispose of them but shipping to the states is expensive plus a ton of regulations. Thought of perforating them in a controlled environment with sodium bicarbonate and then encapsulating the remains ( estabilization/solidificaction process).
Any body out there with a better and no so expensive method of disposal???
Would be greatly appreciated

 

[yorkjim]

Hi Asesor,

This is a little out of my area of expertise. But interestly enough, as the result of being unemployed for an extended period of time a few years ago, I found a 'temporary' position at a major USA electronics retailer while I looked for an appropriate professional position. I was at the electronics store for a little more than a year.

When selling camcorders and digital cameras we were always expected to sell a 2nd battery, especially if the battery supplied with the device was an older cadmium/nickel type. Nickel metal hydride and lithium batteries were the preferred substitutes, one of the primary reasons being that no special procedure was required when the time came to dispose these types, as opposed the the Cd/Ni which was classified as hazardous waste. We had a box at the front door of the store where Cd/Ni batteries could be thrown to be sent to a proper disposal site. Old lithium batteries were simply tossed in the trash, and if folks phoned in for advice regarding disposal - again, for lithium type, we told them to simply add it to their weekly trash pickup.

 

[asesor]

Yes but they migth have been another type. Even the UN has special requirements when shipping these batteries.Most people do not dispose of them adequately and THEY ARE VERY TOXIC specially when punctured. Also if they catch fire you cannot douse the fire with water because they may explode. Anyhow thanks and will keep looking

 

[yorkjim]

Nasty stuff indeed! I am familiar with sodium hydrosulfite, similar problem - this substance will combust spontaneously, and when it does the flame generated is self supporting, so the only fire-fighting technique available is isolation to let the fire burn itself out.

I mention this because there are stabilizes that are effective to satisfy UN regulations to the point that no flammable label is needed to transport. Maybe a post in another forum could help find someone who knows more.

 

[saxon]

asesor, Where are you located? And why are you setting yourself up as a "treatment, storage, and disposal facility"? There are extensive UN reg's, not too mention local reg's. Wouldn't it just be easier to package the batteries up and return? Any type of dry cell can be classified as a universal waste and drops out of the HAZ. Waste category.

Hope this helps
saxon

 

[asesor]

I knew you would answer saxon. Nothing like a challenge
Well I´m located in Venezuela and it is very expensive to ship them to the states. The containers alone are expensive ( 6 footlong 6 inch diameter stainless cylinders with all types of safeguards). Even Though the method described in the post would work I wanted to know if there was another better and more inexpensive method. Would love to know how in the world they recycle them

 

[asesor]

By the way we finally disposed the calcium chloride in the sea as suggested. The environmental ministry accepted it!!