Replacement, Recycling and Disposal of Batteries in IBM Products Introduction: Many Information Technology (IT) products manufactured today use some kind of battery. Typical battery applications include: ?????Powering memory devices to save critical system settings while equipment is turned off ?????Powering portable devices such as notebook and hand held computers when disconnected from a power source. ?????Uninterruptible power supplies designed to allow for safe shutdown of equipment during a power outage. The most common battery type used in today’s electronic products are Lithium “button cell” batteries. These small coin-shaped batteries are typically used to power memory circuits when systems are shutdown, saving critical configuration settings and speeding startup when systems are powered on. These batteries are not rechargeable. However, they are generally designed to last several years without need for replacement. Batteries used to power portable products such as IBM ThinkPad mobile computers are typically larger, and are designed to be recharged and reused many times. These batteries are generally contained in a plastic case or “battery pack” along with some additional components designed to allow for safe recharging of the battery. Many older portable products used Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd) battery packs. However, over the past several years, battery technologies used in portable products have improved, increasing battery life and reducing “memory” effects which led to premature failure of batteries. Most IBM portable products introduced since 1995 use either Ni