A New Spin on Earth Day: Car Batteries

When one thinks “environmentally friendly,” recycled paper and plastic products, biodegradable items, or reusable bags typically come to mind. This year, take a new spin on Earth Day (April 22) with interesting facts about an unexpectedly environmentally friendly and sustainable item: car batteries.

• According to the Battery Council International, lead-acid batteries are the most highly recycled consumer product in the world.
• Lead-acid batteries have three major components: lead, acid, and plastic. Here’s what happens when a battery is recycled:
  • Most of the lead in an automotive battery can be reclaimed and used to manufacture a new battery; the lead is recycled and reused indefinitely.
  • A battery’s sulfuric acid can be recycled and used in new batteries. It can be neutralized, purified and tested before being released as clean water; or it can be converted to sodium sulfate, a product used in fertilizer, dyes and other products.
  • Most battery cases are black because the cases have been made from plastic recycled from spent battery cases. When various colors are melted together, they become black.
• Recycling doesn’t just help the environment; it helps keep costs down. By reusing valuable lead and plastic products, it lessens the need and cost of raw materials for manufacturing.
• AAA installs batteries that are already 97 percent recycled.
• Last year alone, AAA recycled more than 1.8 million batteries with the lifetime total of AAA Mobile Battery Service topping nearly 16 million batteries kept out of landfills.

Now it’s time to do your part and help AAA in our efforts to keep the planet sustainable. The next time you suspect car battery issues, call AAA Mobile Battery Service. Our technicians will test your battery on the spot, and if needed, install a new battery and recycle your old one