“How do I dispose of a secondary battery?”
Secondary battery life and disposal
Smartphones have become an essential tool in our daily lives, and as such, power banks are becoming increasingly important to extend the life of your smartphone.
In the past, smartphone users preferred to swap out spare batteries in case they ran out of juice, but with most smartphones now using built-in batteries, charging via a power bank has become the norm.
The lifespan of a power bank is highly dependent on how you care for it, and while manufacturers typically list lithium batteries as lasting one to two years, many last longer with proper care.
To use these secondary batteries efficiently, it is recommended to stop charging at 80-90% rather than 100%. This will help prevent overcharging and extend the life of the battery. You should also be careful not to charge your power bank and smartphone at the same time, as this can shorten battery life.
How to dump a secondary battery
When a power bank reaches the end of its life, care must also be taken in how it is disposed of. Lithium-ion batteries are dangerous because they are very fragile on impact and mishandling them can lead to an explosion, so they should not be disposed of in the general waste stream, but rather separately in a specially designed waste battery box.
This is to reduce the risk of explosion and prevent heavy metal pollution. In most residential areas, you can easily find a collection box for waste dry batteries, and you can also apply for collection of many small waste appliances, including power banks, under certain conditions.
