Product labels may also be helpful in identifying mercury-containing batteries.

Ensure that old mercury-containing batteries are disposed of properly.

The proposed rules would also prohibit mercury-containing batteries, thermostats, tire balancers, and mechanical switches used in freezers, washing machines and bilge pumps, the newspaper said.

Description: Mercury oxide, silver oxide, and button cell batteries are the most common mercury-containing batteries (NEWMOA, 2003).

State initiatives include the implementation of landfill bans on mercury-containing batteries and NiCd batteries and the introduction of legislation requiring proper collection, management and labeling of targeted batteries.

Mercury-containing batteries generally consist of the button cell type found in wrist watches, hearing aids, calculators, and various types of applications in labs, hospitals, and military and commercial facilities (NEWMOA, 2003).

In 1996 the United States Congress passed the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act that prohibited further sale of mercury-containing batteries unless manufacturers provided a reclamation facility, effectively banning their sale.

The Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996 is a similar law in the United States, banning the sale of mercury-containing batteries (except small button cells), and requiring labeling for disposal and recycling.

In the United States, the Mercury-Containing and Rechargeable Battery Management Act of 1996 banned the sale of mercury-containing batteries, enacted uniform labeling requirements for rechargeable batteries and required that rechargeable batteries be easily removable.