It’s no secret that the natural gas the Cabot is producing is not only helping power America, but it is also responsible for helping to lower the amount of CO2 emissions to 20-year lows.
Emily Mercurio, a Geologist in the Pittsburgh office, decided that becoming more “green” around the office would be another great way to help the environment. Emily realized when the battery for her keyboard died that the issue of how to dispose of the batteries is likely a shared issue among the Cabot staff.
“I just wanted to make it easier to recycle,” she explained.
Now, employees in the Pittsburgh office can go to down to the front desk and exchange their old batteries for new ones. The old batteries will be put into a cardboard box and taken periodically to a nearby recycling center.
It is important to properly recycle batteries whenever possible because if they end up in landfills, the fluids inside can leak have the potential to leak into the water supply.
- It’s estimated that 50% -70% of heavy metals in landfills are batteries.
- Even with those numbers, America discards of 2.9 billion batteries every year.
- By recycling and properly disposing of used batteries, you can ensure there won’t be any harm to the environment.
Any type of battery can be recycled through this program: rechargeable, alkaline, laptop, etc. Emily explained the differences between types of batteries:
Regular household alkaline batteries don’t contain as many heavy metals as other batteries, but they can still be recycled. Rechargeable batteries have more heavy metals in them, making them ideal for recycling.
The hope is that small changes, like a battery drive, will add up to make a big difference on the environment.
