When Nihal Tammana was only 10 years old, a troubling news story sparked a sense of responsibility that would grow into a global environmental mission. After hearing about a lithium-ion battery explosion at a waste disposal facility, Nihal became curious about what happens to discarded batteries and the risks they pose when carelessly tossed into landfills.
What he uncovered motivated him to take action — not just for his own community, but for people around the world. That same year, Nihal founded Recycle My Battery, a nonprofit organization aimed at addressing the serious environmental hazards caused by improperly disposed batteries. Now, just five years later and at only 15 years old, he has accomplished more than many environmental advocates twice his age.
Under his leadership, the organization has successfully recycled over 625,000 batteries and installed more than 1,000 battery collection bins in schools, libraries, businesses, and public spaces to make battery recycling simple and accessible. Anyone interested in joining his mission can visit RecycleMyBattery.org, where they’ll find practical guides and resources on how to get involved by setting up recycling programs in their own communities.
The organization is designed to empower schools and businesses to become battery recycling champions, ensuring that batteries are disposed of responsibly instead of ending up in landfills where they risk leaching harmful chemicals into soil and water.
Nihal’s dedication has not gone unnoticed either. His efforts have extended far beyond his hometown of Monroe, New Jersey, making an international impact. Recently, his story and mission were included in a German educational textbook, ensuring that future generations learn early about the importance of responsible battery disposal. By integrating this message into school curriculums, Nihal hopes to foster lifelong environmental habits in young people across the globe.
In another impressive milestone, Nihal has begun collaborating with B-cycle, Australia’s largest battery recycling initiative. Together, they plan to replicate his successful model by placing battery collection bins in schools throughout the country. This partnership demonstrates how one young person’s idea can inspire systemic change across continents, proving that effective environmental action can start small and quickly scale.
While Recycle My Battery focuses on collection and awareness, Nihal hasn’t stopped there. He’s currently working on what he calls the Residual Charge Project — a forward-thinking concept to harness leftover energy from used batteries. His prototype, validated by an expert at the University of Waterloo, aims to capture and repurpose residual energy to help power the very plants that recycle batteries.
This project illustrates Nihal’s commitment not just to managing waste but also to maximizing resources and improving the efficiency of recycling processes. The nonprofit also actively engages its network of over 1,000 youth volunteers worldwide, educating them and the public about the dangers of casually discarding batteries with regular waste.
Through its research, the organization highlighted the serious consequences of battery degradation on soil health. One study revealed that a typical alkaline battery, like those produced by Duracell, significantly raised soil salinity and created a hazardous pH of 13.01 — a level entirely unsuitable for plant life.
Recycle My Battery continues to expand its outreach with initiatives like The Battery Challenge, a school-based program that gamifies the process of collecting used batteries, turning environmental responsibility into a fun, competitive activity. The nonprofit’s bold aim is to recycle 1 million batteries by the end of the year, a target they hope to reach by mobilizing schools, businesses, and community groups to participate.
Nihal’s message is as simple as it is inspiring: “If I can make the Earth a better place to live, you can…. If you can, we all can.”
His work proves that anyone, regardless of age, can drive meaningful environmental change. As his movement gains momentum across the globe, Nihal Tammana stands as a remarkable example of what one determined individual can achieve in the fight against pollution and climate threats.
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