Curiosity Quest Goes Green: Battery Recycling

This episode of the educational PBS-aired show Curiosity Quest Goes Green takes host Joel Greene to Battery Solutions, a California-based company that recycles all kinds of batteries in a “zero-waste” facility—meaning that at the end of the day no garbage is left behind; even the paper and plastic overwrap are separated out for recycling. Greene is a funny, high-energy presenter who helps manager Justin Jungman explain the science behind batteries in accessible language. The show is broken up with “person on the street” interviews asking kids and adults questions about these ubiquitous energy devices. And it's shocking to witness the quantity of material Battery Solutions processes in a day, although—despite the fact that it's illegal to throw away batteries in California—the amount the company successfully recaptures for recycling is still only a fraction of what routinely ends up in landfills, with potentially dire consequences for land and water. Other titles newly available in the Curiosity Quest Goes Green series include: Cheerleading, Fishing for Energy, Salmon, and School Lunch Tray Recycling. Offering an interesting look at an unusual green business while also serving up a primer on a mostly unnoticed piece of technology that is part of our daily lives, this is recommended. Aud: E, I, P. (H. Seggel)