Lead is a very toxic metal that enters the human body through ingestion or inhalation. However, over 95 per cent of all battery lead is recycled. When a spent lead-acid battery is collected, it is sent to a recycler where the lead and plastic are reclaimed and sent to a new battery manufacturer. If recycling batteries is not an option in your community, consider saving batteries for a hazardous waste collection. Personal injury and property damage could occur when old dry cell batteries leak.
Stored batteries create a potential risk of fire.
Many discarded batteries still have residual voltage. Collected together, these batteries could short and generate sufficient heat to cause a fire. Therefore, great care should be taken when collecting batteries. Battery Recycling from Battery Council International.