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New battery store recycles and rebuilds
By Lisa Munger
lisa.munger@theindependent.com
It’s illegal to throw away many types of batteries. Dangerous substances such as cadmium and lead can seep into the ground and into water tables.
Some people don’t know about these laws, or if they do, they don’t know what to do with old batteries, said a spokesman for a new battery store.
“You are supposed to recycle them,” said Mark Schmidt, sales manager at Interstate All Battery Center. “And who knows where to do that? No one does.”
Schmidt said he hopes to spread the word that batteries can be dropped off for recycling his store, 920 N. Diers Ave., in Grand Island.
Besides that, they also sell and rebuild many types of batteries: “We have batteries from the size of a pin to batteries that have to be lifted with a forklift,” he said. “If we don’t have it, we’ll find it or build it.”
The franchise business has been open for three weeks, after a dramatic expansion from its original location in Aurora.
Schmidt said owners Lee, Paula and Zack Danhauer had hoped to open such a store within five years, but moved up the timeline to launch the Grand Island store.
“We wanted to be first,” he said. “We felt like now was the time to do it.”
Schmidt said customers often seek batteries for items such as cell phones, cordless phones and cordless tools that are no longer sold in the stores where they originally purchased the items.
Batteries that can’t be rebuilt are recycled, he said. Many of the metals used in original units can be melted down and remade into new batteries.
Besides Schmidt’s new store, there are several other locations in Grand Island that offer recycling of batteries such as automotive batteries, said Jeff Wattier, solid waste superintendent for the city of Grand Island.
“Most auto-parts stores will take auto lead batteries,” Wattier said. “These are dangerous, especially car lead acid batteries — the name speaks for itself.”
He said these chemicals can seep into the ground.
Wattier and his colleagues randomly inspect loads to be dumped to try to detect any prohibited items, but sometimes people aren’t aware what is legal and what is not, he said.
“Most of the time people aren’t trying to do anything illegal,” he said. “Normally, what homeowners throw away are such small amounts, it wouldn’t be illegal, but people are encouraged to recycle batteries if they can. With people trying to think green, people are more conscientious about it.”
More information
More information on disposing batteries can be found by visiting these sites:
Clean Community System
www.cleancommunity.org
City of Grand Island
http://www.grand-island.com, click on Departments, Public Works, Solid Waste
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Some people don’t know about these laws, or if they do, they don’t know what to do with old batteries, said a spokesman for a new battery store.
“You are supposed to recycle them,” said Mark Schmidt, sales manager at Interstate All Battery Center. “And who knows where to do that? No one does.”
Schmidt said he hopes to spread the word that batteries can be dropped off for recycling his store, 920 N. Diers Ave., in Grand Island.
Besides that, they also sell and rebuild many types of batteries: “We have batteries from the size of a pin to batteries that have to be lifted with a forklift,” he said. “If we don’t have it, we’ll find it or build it.”
The franchise business has been open for three weeks, after a dramatic expansion from its original location in Aurora.
Schmidt said owners Lee, Paula and Zack Danhauer had hoped to open such a store within five years, but moved up the timeline to launch the Grand Island store.
“We wanted to be first,” he said. “We felt like now was the time to do it.”
Schmidt said customers often seek batteries for items such as cell phones, cordless phones and cordless tools that are no longer sold in the stores where they originally purchased the items.
Batteries that can’t be rebuilt are recycled, he said. Many of the metals used in original units can be melted down and remade into new batteries.
Besides Schmidt’s new store, there are several other locations in Grand Island that offer recycling of batteries such as automotive batteries, said Jeff Wattier, solid waste superintendent for the city of Grand Island.
“Most auto-parts stores will take auto lead batteries,” Wattier said. “These are dangerous, especially car lead acid batteries — the name speaks for itself.”
He said these chemicals can seep into the ground.
Wattier and his colleagues randomly inspect loads to be dumped to try to detect any prohibited items, but sometimes people aren’t aware what is legal and what is not, he said.
“Most of the time people aren’t trying to do anything illegal,” he said. “Normally, what homeowners throw away are such small amounts, it wouldn’t be illegal, but people are encouraged to recycle batteries if they can. With people trying to think green, people are more conscientious about it.”
More information
More information on disposing batteries can be found by visiting these sites:
Clean Community System
www.cleancommunity.org
City of Grand Island
http://www.grand-island.com, click on Departments, Public Works, Solid Waste
Tweet
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