“In 2019, 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid,” reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If you’re among the population who wears hearing aids and yours take disposable button batteries, as most do, it’s important to know what to do with the used ones. The experts at Decibel Hearing Services strongly recommend recycling them. We review why and how to do this below.
Why Should I Recycle Batteries?
The main reason you should recycle your hearing aid batteries is because throwing used batteries into the trash contributes to pollution. Zinc-air button batteries contain mercuric oxide and silver. Over time, the outer casings of batteries corrode, releasing these heavy metals into the soil, which then seeps into the groundwater.
In addition, trash that contains batteries can release harmful smoke into the air if it is burned, which can lead to health problems for both people and animals.
While it may seem like a small amount of pollution to throw your own batteries in the garbage, if everyone does so, the effect will be massive.
How Do I Recycle My Used Batteries?
Take your hearing aid batteries to a recycling center to recycle them; don’t simply throw them in your recycling bin.
You can also try to ask local jewelry stores and large retailers if they have recycling programs and if they accept hearing aid batteries. Or, you can look for a national recycling organization on the internet.
What Are My Other Options for Hearing Aid Batteries?
Your audiologist at Decibel Hearing Services can talk to you about hearing aids that have built-in rechargeable batteries made of lithium-ion. To charge them, you simply dock your hearing aids on their charger each night while you’re sleeping to ensure you can hear well all throughout the following day.
Lithium-ion rechargeable hearing aid batteries are made to last as long as your devices, and when it’s time for new ones, you’ll simply trade your hearing aids back to your audiologist, who can take care of the recycling.
Rechargeable hearing aids are more environmentally friendly, and they can also be good for your wallet, saving you on the cost of buying batteries every few days or weeks.
For more information about hearing aid batteries, hearing aid services or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call Decibel Hearing Services today.