Battery recycling is very important in the process of recycling your old mobile phone.
The batteries which are usually used in mobile phones are dry-cell rechargeable and are called Lithium-Ion batteries. Rechargeable batteries are great as the number of batteries requiring disposal is reduced, but 80% of them contain nickel cadmium, which is a known human carcinogen, and because of this they need to be disposed of safely.
The chemical make-up of batteries varies from type to type but most contain heavy metals, and these are a cause for environmental concern. When not disposed of correctly, these metals may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes. This can lead to pollution of soil and water and endanger wildlife.
Batteries contain a number of metals which when recycled can be reused again as a secondary raw material.
Lithium-Ion batteries found in mobile phones are currently reprocessed through heat treatment known as pyrolysis for the primary recovery of the metal content.
When you sell your mobile to a mobile phone recycler the components, including the battery, are separated and recycled responsibily. In some cases, if old mobiles are in good working condition, they will be sent to third world countries to be re-used.