Proceed with Caution: Replacing that iPad Battery

With the release of the iPad this week comes one inevitable recycling question: What the heck do you do when the battery dies?

The iPad uses a rechargeable lithium polymer battery similar to that of the iPhone. Though these batteries are easily able to recharge on the spot, when they eventually die, the recycling process can be pricey — a $99 flat fee, plus around $6 for shipping — but you can rest assured that Apple will dispose of it in an environmentally safe manner.

Sure, you have to ship your conked-out iPad to Cupertino, and the turnaround time is typically a week (oh, and no, your info does not get saved onto a new iPad, so it’s best to back up your data often), and pay the fee, but we’re talking about the necessity of proper disposal of lithium batteries here.

Apple will ship you a brand spankin’ new iPad and recycle quite a bit of the old one — the bits of plastic and metal are reused more often than not, and that battery is prevented from ending up in a landfill and leaking any toxins into the earth.

Surely, the $100+ price tag for a replacement will infuriate some Apple customers, but it seems that is the price to pay for safe recycling.