Educação ambiental no uso e descarte de pilhas e baterias

Abstract

In Brazil are produced annually, according to the Brazilian Association of Electrical and Electronics Industry (ABINEE), 800 million batteries. The reduction and rationalization in the use of these products is one way to minimize power consumption, as well as making the disposal selectively. Most consumers hasn’t unaware of the dangers and the established laws. Who under Brazilian law creates the problem is also responsible for solving it. So it is up to manufacturers to give the correct destination for this type of toxic waste. The study aimed to promote awareness of people to the fact of the necessity of environmental care for the proper use and disposal of batteries. The work covered the city of São Vicente do Sul, Cacequi and Santa Maria (all in the State of Rio Grande do Sul-Brazil), in 2009 and 2010, and was developed in two stages: The first step was the awareness, that occurred by the survey data, which questions regarding batteries with subsequent delivery of a booklet and lecture on law and harm caused by waste batteries. In a second step, we performed selective collection of batteries with subsequent transfer of them to Banco Real. The research was conducted with 100 students from the State School St. Vincent High School. The main results of the survey data indicated that 80% of answers rarely discard batteries, but when it does, use the trash for disposal. We also observed that 46% of respondents said they did not know of the problems that contamination by products such as mercury, copper and lead can cause to human health. Answers understand that the responsibility of the correct destination of these materials is the population itself, ignoring the law that indicates manufacturing companies as the main responsible for the collection. This work is expected to arouse the civility, sensitivity, and adoption of new habits on the planet where we live.