The new class in the Commander Islands Nature and Biosphere Reserve Eco Guest-Room was aimed to tell children of Nikolskoye Village about dangers of improper batteries disposal and how to avoid such dangers.

Batteries are one of the most useful inventions of the humanity. Today these small energy units of different capacity and shape serve the villagers and many other people on the planet. They help us to be in touch and use our favorite devices for longer periods of time.

When batteries exceed their life span, they are disposed of in a garbage bin. Then these tiny helpers travel to the wasteland together with other household waste. Here the power cells transform into our enemies. The shell decomposes first and heavy metals from the inner part of the battery pollute the soil.  

About three years will pass and harmful substances, such as mercury and lead will come back to us. Within this period they will travel to the ocean with groundwater, will hide in mollusks and fish and return to us with food on our plates. This would have not happen, if we sent the batteries for recycling and give them new life, so they could he our loyal helpers again.

“We created a lesson to share the idea that batteries are good and we need to use them gently. So we started by showing the benefits of electricity and than discussed how batteries are transformed during recycling,” said Oksana Solovanyuk, Chief Specialist of Development and Ecological Education Department.

First grader Alice Utkina now knows how to recycle batteries

Children also watched an educational film about the role of energy units in our lives. In the end they discovered that they can already give their used batteries for recycling by putting them in boxes in the nature reserve building and some of the local shops. Later they will be sent to Chelyabinsk, where the only battery recycling facility is situated.

“Today I learned that batteries can be recycled. I should not put them in garbage, as the ocean can be poisoned. If I see an adult putting it in garbage, I will say that they should not do that”, said Alice.

The lesson is organized in the framework of Green Spring 2019 – the All-Russian ecological event, which took place from April 20 to May 20.