why are batteries harmful to the environment

© Copyright Clean Up Australia 2011.This sheet may be photocopied for non-commercial classroom use. of 13

Lesson Background This lesson plan has been designed using the Australian Curriculum to engage students from Middle and Upper Primary (Years 3 to 6), with extension acti viti es for Lower High School (Years 7 and 8). This lesson plan can be adapted by teachers to meet individual teaching needs.

Lesson AimStudents will learn what batt eries are used for, the diff erent types of batt eries available, the life cycle of a batt ery and what can be done to reduce the impact on the environment associated with batt ery disposal.

Why are batteries harmfulto the environment?


Why are batteries harmful to the environment?

Learning Outcomes As outlined in the Australian Curriculum:ScienceYear Strand Sub-Strand and Elaborati ons4 Science Understanding • Chemical sciences – physical properti es (ACSSU074) Science as a Human Endeavour • Use and infl uence of science – waste management (ACSHE062)3 & 4 Science Inquiry Skills • Questi oning and predicti ng – predicti ons(‘Cross-Year’ linkage) Yr 3 - (ACSIS053) or Yr 4 - (ACSIS064) • Planning and Conducti ng – class surveys Yr 3 - (ACSIS054) or Yr 4 - (ACSIS065) • Processing and analysing data – predicti ons Yr 3 - (ACSIS215) or Yr 4 - (ACSIS216) • Communicati ng – diagrams and simple reports Yr 3 - (ACSIS060) or Yr 4 - (ACSIS071)6 Science Understanding • Physical sciences – energy sources (ACSSU219) Science as a Human Endeavour • Use and infl uence of science – sustainable energy sources (ACSHE220)7 Science Understanding • Earth and space sciences – renewable and non-renewable resources (ACSSU116)8 Science Understanding • Use and infl uence of science – household waste (ACSHE135)Maths3-6 Problem Solving and Reasoning • Collecti ng, graphing and interpreti ng data7-8 • Compare costs of items to make fi nancial decisions

Background Information

The Use of Batt eriesBatteries power our modern way of life. We use batteries in many everyday devices we tend to take for granted including cars, computers, laptops, radios, MP3 players , mobi le phones, remote controls, torches, toys, watches and clocks.

Classroom Acti vity 1Batt eries in modern life

Aim: To identi fy the use of batt eries in modern life.Timing: 25 to 30 minutes.Ask students to write a list or create a diagram of all things in the classroom that operate using batt eries, non-rechargeable or otherwise.As a homework acti vity, ask students to use the ‘Household Survey’ worksheet to fi nd up to ten devices in their house that operate on batt eries, fi lling in all columns except for adding up the totals. Then, in class, review the student’s fi ndings, and add up the individual totals. Finally, compile the individual student totals into a class summary of the number of household items found that used non-rechargeable batt eries, and the number of household items found that use rechargeable batt eries.Curriculum Link: ACSIS060

Learning Stages: Middle and Upper Primary



Worksheet: Household SurveyAsk students to survey their home of all the things that operate on batt eries and complete the following sheet. Ask students to fi ll out the enti re sheet except for adding up the totals.

Object How many batt eries Rechargeable or not? in the object? (Y/N)

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Total No = Rechargeable =

Not Rechargeable =



Types of Batt eries

Non-rechargeable batteries (also called primary, dry cell or alkaline batt eries) are the most common household battery. They are oft en used in torches, toys, smoke detectors, watches, calculators, hearing aids, radios and remote controls. This kind of batt ery cannot be recharged aft er use and, although they can be recycled, batt ery recycling programmes and faciliti es are sti ll developing their presence in Australia, so most primary batt eries are simply thrown away when they become ‘fl at’.

Rechargeable batt eries (also called secondary batteries) can be recharged and reused repeatedly. They are commonly found in cordless phones, cordless drills, mobile phones, laptops, shavers, digital cameras, video cameras and house alarms. Although rechargeable/reusable, their ability to hold a charge diminishes over ti me and will eventually need to be disposed of when they can no longer hold a charge. As with primary batteries, these batteries can also be recycled, but again, the faciliti es and programmes to achieve this have yet to become mainstream in Australia.

For informati on on recycling batt eries near you, visit www.recyclingnearyou.com.au.

Advantages• Can be used multi ple ti mes, reducing the

volume of batt eries going to landfi ll.

• Can be recharged rather than spending money on new batt eries.

• You can use a solar recharger.

• As they are reused, there is less waste and toxic minerals going into landfi lls.

Table 1 (below): Advantages and disadvantages of rechargeable batt ery use – can be used to promote class discussion.

Disadvantages• More expensive than other batt eries.

• Need to recharge the battery between uses.

• They can be thrown out before they are completely used.

Advantages and disadvantages of using rechargeable batt eries over non-rechargeable batt eries

Classroom Acti vity 2Advantages of Rechargeable Batt eries

Aim: To identi fy the many uses of batt eries, disti nguish between rechargeable and non-rechargeable batteries and promote the advantages of rechargeable batt eries.

Timing: 25 to 30 minutes.

• Provide students with a number of diff erent batt eries to look at. Ask students if they know the diff erence between the batt eries and what they are used for.

• Explain to students there are two diff erent types of batt eries

a. Non-rechargeable batt eries (primary)

b. Rechargeable batt eries (secondary)

• Make a list of the pros and cons of rechargeable versus non-rechargeable batt eries and promote class discussion.

Curriculum Links: ACSHE062; ACSSU219; ACSHE220

Learning Stage: Mid to Upper Primary.



Batt ery Life CycleBatt eries contain a range of metals, which are usually mined from the ground. These materials go to a manufacturing plant, where they are transformed into batteries. Energy is also required for the process of making batt eries. These new batt eries are then transported to a shop where they are sold to consumers, or placed in items that need power.

For rechargeable batt eries, once they go fl at, they are usually recharged using electricity. It doesn’t take much power to recharge a batt ery. Some batt eries can be recharged up to 1500 ti mes, such as the SANYO Eneloop rechargeable batt ery, meaning that for each recharge, you are making a positi ve choice to not buy new batt eries (www.eneloop.info).

For non-rechargeable batt eries, once they go fl at they are thrown out and become landfi ll. The Australian Bureau of Stati sti cs shows that Australia imported 267 million disposable batt eries and 50 million rechargeable batt eries in 2004 (ABS, 2005). However, the greatest environmental concern surrounding batt eries is the impact they have at the end of their lives. Australia hasn’t embraced batt ery recycling - it is esti mated that around 95% of dead batt eries end up in landfi ll - and this is where the most serious problem starts (www.batt eryrecycling.org.au)

Non-rechargeable Batt eries: Provide power to devices through the conversion of chemical energy into electrical energy. Among other chemicals, they contain zinc and manganese chemistry to produce the electrical energy. (www.gmagazine.com.au)

Rechargeable batt eries: Usually provide power to devices through the conversion of chemical energy, created by the chemical combinations of nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride or lithium ion. (www.gmagazine.com.au)

Batt eries are identi fi ed as a problem material when they are thrown out and become waste.

Batt eries are made from a variety of chemicals to power their reacti ons. Some of these chemicals, such as nickel and cadmium, are extremely toxic and can cause damage to humans and the environment.

In particular, they can cause soil and water polluti on and endanger wildlife. For example, cadmium can cause damage to soil micro-organisms and aff ect the breakdown of organic matt er. It can also bio-accumulate in fi sh, which reduces their numbers and makes them unfi t for human consumpti on.

For more informati on on batt eries, have a look at the Clean Up Batt ery Recycling Fact Sheet www.cleanup.org.au.

Classroom Acti vity 3Batt ery Life Cycle

Aim: To educate students on the life cycle costs of batt eries.

Timing: 25 to 30 minutes.

Ask students what they or their family do with batteries when they are no longer working or ‘dead’.

Using the above information, as well as internet resources, examine what happens to batteries if they are not disposed of properly and the eff ects of improper disposal on the environment.

Complete the worksheet ‘Taking Acti on - True or False?’ and discuss what acti ons the students can take to reduce the impact of batt eries on the environment.

Curriculum Link: ACSHE062

Learning Stage: Middle and Upper Primary



Worksheet: Taking Action – True or False?There are some simple rules about how to safely handle batt eries. Which one of the following

statements will help you do this? Write True or False in the answers box.

Answers:True: 1,3,4,5,7,9,10,11,14,16. False: 2,6,8,12,13,15

Acti on

1 Use rechargeable batt eries, as they can be re-used several hundreds of ti mes

2 Choose primary batt eries that are made from highly toxic materials like mercury and cadium

3 Purchase equipment that uses a winding mechanism and does not require batt eries to operate e.g radios & torches.

4 Recycle your rechargeable batt eries when they can no longer hold a charge

5 Recycle your non-rechargeable batt eries

6 Mix batt eries with other objects, such as keys and coins, that can cause the batt ery to short circuit

7 Remove batt eries from equipment not being used as batt eries may leak, corrode and damage the equipment which creates more waste

8 Take apart or tamper with the case of the batt ery

9 Purchase batt eries when you need them, as they have a limited shelf life

10 Remove batt eries from batt ery-operated equipment before disposing the equipment

11 Make batt eries last longer by following recharging instructi ons on their packaging

12 Throw away equipment with the batt eries sti ll inside

13 Reverse the positi ve and negati ve terminals of the batt eries when installing them in equipment or charger

14 Recharge batt eries when they are near to fully discharged

15 Dispose of a batt ery in a fi re or water

16 Opt for appliances that can use power derived from the sun via solar panels.

TRUE or FALSE



DisposalLandfi ll is generally where batt eries end up. Regulati ons governing batt ery disposal diff er in each state and territory in Australia.

In Western Australia, both disposable and rechargeable batt eries are classed as hazardous waste; they are placed in steel drums encased in concrete within secure landfi lls so that air and water can’t corrode the batt ery casings. In Queensland, by comparison, people throw batt eries in the bin with impunity.

The only batt eries currently recycled in Australia are the lead-acid batt eries that power our cars and trucks; more than 90% of which are recycled. The good news is that moves are underway to establish household batt ery recycling.

In Melbourne, a trial of a free recycling service for household batteries began in mid 2007. The service is a joint initiative between the Government and industry to provide places where people can drop off their dead batt eries.

For further informati on on batt ery waste, visit G Magazine online www.gmagazine.com.au or the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water www.environment.nsw.gov.au

Are batt eries recyclable?Unfortunately, there is no nati onal recycling scheme for primary batteries in Australia. However, there are some companies that collect batt eries and ship them overseas to be recycled. The Australian Batt ery Recycling Initi ati ve (ABRI) is a relati vely new organisati on that consists of various batt ery industry organisati ons, recycling and collecti on companies plus environmental and government organisati ons that are working together at developing a sustainable viable nati onal recycling program in Australia.

Batteries contain a range of metals, which can be reused as a secondary raw material. There are methods for recycling most batt eries containing lead, nickel-cadmium, nickel hydride and mercury.

Can you reduce batt ery consumpti on? The most eff ecti ve way to avoid batt ery waste is to reduce the amount you use. There are many items that do not require batt eries such as non – batt ery operated watches, wind up radios and wind up torches.

For further information on ways to reduce batt ery consumpti on, visit the Municipal Waste Advisory webpage www.wastenet.net.au.

Can you re-use batt eries?Yes you can! There are many types of batt eries that you can purchase that are rechargeable which means you can use the batt ery over and over again saving you money and reducing your impact on the environment.

Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batt eries can be used up to 1500 ti mes. The Sanyo Eneloop rechargeable batt ery uses the latest technology and does not have any cadmium contained in it and therefore it is safer for the environment.

Clean Up Australia has a relati onship with SANYO Oceania. SANYO Oceania is also a corporate member of Australia Batt ery Recycling Initi ati ve and has contributed to the development of this lesson plan resource.

It is Clean Up Australia’s view that the SANYO Eneloop Ni-MH batt ery is exemplary because:• it does not require charging prior to use• it can be recharged about 1500 times

(many more ti mes than other rechargeable batt eries)

• it has a low self-discharge rate• it contains no cadmium (which can leach from

the batt ery case in the waste stream)• it is recyclable at the end of its life

Therefore, Clean Up Australia used the SANYO Eneloop batt ery as its choice of rechargeable battery to compare with non-rechargeable batteries. To learn more about the SANYO Eneloop rechargeable battery, visit www.eneloop.info/



Classroom Acti vity 4First-hand Investi gati on of

Rechargeable Batt eriesAim: To educate students to become advocates of rechargeable batteries for high-drain devices. These batteries reduce waste and contamination and save energy and virgin resources.

You will need two identi cal digital cameras (with identi cal setti ngs), one set of non-rechargeable batt eries and one set of rechargeable batt eries (for best results, the experiment will need to be conducted a number of ti mes so that you can determine the average life span for a non-rechargeable and rechargeable batt ery).

Before the experiment, ask students what they think the outcome of the experiment may be in terms of which batt ery yields more photos.

Instruct the students to take photos of their local environment with the theme of sustainability. The students are not to delete photos, review photos or change camera setti ngs, and the fl ash is to be turned off . These instructi ons are provided to control variables in camera use that might impact upon energy consumpti on.

Students can record their results in a table, similar to Table 2 below.

Number of Photos Taken – Tally

Non-rechargeable Rechargeable Batt eries Batt eries

Initi al Experiment

First Repeti ti on

Second Repeti ti on

Total

Table 2: Results tally for Classroom Acti vity 4.

In conducti ng the experiment, students are to take photos with the cameras until the batt eries run out. Students are not to remove the batt eries or ‘rub’ them to prolong batt ery life. To repeat this experiment, the rechargeable batt eries need to be recharged and the non-rechargeable batt eries should be returned to a company that collects them, and new batt eries placed in the camera. Refer to Extension Acti vity 1 for companies/organisati ons that recycle batt eries.

It can be anti cipated that the rechargeable batt eries prove to be more energy effi cient with up to 600 photos possible. A Clean Up Australia pilot of this project revealed rechargeable batteries yield 28% more photos when compared to non-rechargeable batt eries.

Aft er the experiment, discuss how well the students’ predicti ons matched with the results and share ideas about what was learnt.

For years 7 and 8, refer to Extension Acti vity 2 ‘Energy Spend Formula’ for a batt ery energy effi ciency exercise.

Curriculum Links: ACSSU074; ACSIS053/ACSIS064; ACSIS215/ACSIS216; ACSSU219

Learning Stage: Middle to Upper Primary



Extension Acti vity 1Batt ery Recycling Program

Aim: To show students how to correctly dispose of household batt eries, while providing an environmentally responsible means of disposal.

1. As a class discuss why it is important to recycle batt eries.

2. Currently there is no nati onal batt ery recycling scheme for primary batt eries in Australia. As a class, fi nd out what local faciliti es or services your school could access to run a batt ery recycling program for your school community. You could start the research by visiting your school or local library, contacti ng your local council or fi nding out more informati on from one of the programs listed (if they operate in your area).

Cleanaway’s Batt ery Recycling Programme: This program collects rechargeable batt eries such as nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride or lithium ion. These are most commonly found in cordless phones, cordless drills, mobile phones, laptops and PCs, shavers, digital cameras and video cameras. To fi nd out more, call (07) 3367 7800 or visit cleanaway.com.au/batt eries

Batt ery World: Parti cipati ng Batt ery World stores will collect secondary/rechargeable batt eries. To fi nd out if Batt ery World near you is collecti ng batt eries, call 13 17 60 or visit www.batt eryworld.com.au

IKEA: offers customers a used light bulb, compact fl uorescent and household batt ery take back service. Customers can take used batt eries back to IKEA and deposit them in the take-back containers, located just aft er the checkouts. Visit www.ikea.com.au

Batteryback: Victorian residents can take advantage of a free batt ery recycling program for rechargeable batteries and household single-use batt eries. For further informati on call 1800 353 233.

Clean Up Australia: Recycling your mobile phone and battery is easy, request a free satchel from Clean Up Australia by registering on-line

htt p://mobile.cleanup.org.au/register.html

and then follow the instructi ons on the satchel and send via freepost through Australia Post to Clean Up Australia’s partner Australian Recycling.

Local Council: Contact your local council or community recycling facility to see if they have any household batt ery recycling opti ons.

3. Ask your batt ery recycler or local council representati ve to give a brief talk to your school about battery recycling and its benefi ts to the environment. Students and teachers will learn more about what happens to their recycled batt eries.

4. As a class complete the Worksheet: Batt ery Recycling Program and discuss what ideas students have developed.

5. Prioriti se what acti ons the class will take to develop the batt ery recycling program and include a suggested timeline for implementati on

6. Ask small groups to discuss and agree on some rules for managing each acti on of the program.

Conti nued over



Extension Acti vity 1 conti nued

7. If the whole school is going to parti cipate in the program nominate one teacher and class to act as ‘Leaders of the Program’. They will be in charge of collecting the batt eries from each classroom to monitor progress. Each year the ‘Leaders of the Program’ can change.

8. Each class can be responsible for monitoring and promoting the program within the school and at home to parents. Each class can develop a tracking poster to display the number and weight of batt eries they have collected.

9. Ask students to observe and record the batt ery recycling program using a method of their choice including drawing, story, picture, and photos. Students can be encouraged to parti cipate through the use of competi ti ons between classes.

10. Encourage students to refl ect and include their thoughts on how the class and wider school community is helping the environment by living more sustainably.

Advanced Extension Acti vity Brainstorm with the class ideas on how to implement a national battery recycling program and facility in Australia. The following questi ons may be asked.

Who will be involved?

How will the batt eries be collected?

How will the batt eries get from the collecti on point to the recycling facility?

Where will the recycling plant be located?

Where does the recycled material go?



Worksheet: Battery Recycling ProgramYour plan on setti ng up a batt ery recycling program.

1. What is the goal of the program?

2. What ideas do we have to set up the program?

3. What tasks need to be completed?

4. What teams should we set up to complete each task?

5. Who will be in each team?

6. How will we tell other students about the program?

7. How will we measure the success of the program?



Extension Acti vity 2Energy Spend Formula

It is more economical to buy and recharge rechargeable batt eries for use in high drain devices when compared with the use of non-rechargeable batt eries for the same purpose.

Aim: To demonstrate to students an ‘energy spend formula’ for the use of rechargeable batteries compared to the use of non-rechargeable batt eries.

These statistics are based on actual data from the 2010 Clean Up Batt ery Initi ati ve in partnership with SANYO Oceania.

The task: If a rechargeable batt ery takes 430 pictures, and a non-rechargeable batt ery takes 240 pictures, and I want to take 2,000 pictures, what will the cheapest opti on be? What opti on will be bett er for the environment?

NotesPurchase price of rechargeable batt eries = $13.00.Purchase price of non-rechargeable batt ery = $3.00.To recharge a rechargeable batt ery, here are some important points. - Batt ery capacity = 2000 milliamps - It takes 10% capacity for 10 hours to recharge, therefore 200 milliamps x 10hrs = 2000 milliamp hrs.

Formulas Watt hours = volts x milliamps Electricity cost = 17.1 cents / kWh Watt hours x 1000 = kWh

1. Rechargeable batt ery cost = (number recharges x cost each recharge) x purchase priceIf I want to take 2000 pictures and my batt ery takes 430 pictures per recharge, how many recharges do I need?Pictures wanted = 2000 / 430, so I need 4.7 recharges, rounded to 5.

What is the cost per recharge? Electricity cost = 17.1cents per kWh (Clean Up fi gure) Watt hour = volts x ampsSo, if I have a 1.5 volt batt ery and it has a milliamp charge of 200Watt hour = 1.5V x (200mlamp/1000) = 0.3We need 10 hours per charge.

Cost of kWh = 17.1cents / 1000 = 0.0171centsNow ti mes this by the number of Watt hrs (3) = 0.0513cents

If we need 5 charges to get 2000 pictures, the total cost is 0.0513 x 5 = 0.257 cents.Add this recharge cost to the original purchase price ($13.00) and total cost is: $13.02 for 2000 pictures

2. Non-rechargeable batt ery costI want to take 2,000 pictures using non-rechargeable batt eries. Non-rechargeable batt eries take 240 pictures.Number of batt eries needed = number of pictures wanted / number pictures a batt ery can take = 2,000 / 240 = 8.3 rounded to 8The cost of taking 2,000 pictures using non-rechargeable batt eries is 8 x cost of batt ery ($3.00) $24 for 2,000 pictures

Curriculum Links: Problem Solving and Reasoning

Learning Stage: Upper Primary to Years 7 and 8



Sources &FurtherInformation

Taking Charge of Batt ery WasteG Magazine on line

www.gmagazine.com.au

Wastenet

Municipal Waste Advisory CouncilBatt ery Avoidance Strategies

www.wastenet.net.au

Recycling Near You

www.recyclingnearyou.com.au

NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water

www.environment.nsw.gov.au/

Sanyo Eneloop Rechargeable Batt eries

www.eneloop.info/

Waste Watch

www.wasteonline.org.uk

Australian Batt ery Recycling Initi ati ve

www.batt eryrecycling.org.au

Clean Up Australia

www.cleanup.org.au

why are batteries harmful to the environment

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