Appliances are convenient time and labor saving devices that American society has come to depend on.

Household batteries contain more than 20 toxic substances (including lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, chromium, lithium, copper, manganese, silver, selenium, and corrosive acids). In landfills, heavy metals can leach into the soil and contaminate the groundwater. Over-exposure to these elements can cause a myriad of health problems, including damage to the brain, kidneys and other major organs, as well as contributing to birth defects.