Green Baslow mini update

Recycling and disposal of batteries

The Figures and the problem! The average household uses 21 batteries a year and this generates 20,000 - 30,000 tonnes of waste general purpose batteries every year. Unfortunately less than 1,000 tonnes are recycled with the majority of the rest finding their way into landfill sites.

However, new regulations which came into force on the 5th May 2009 (The Waste Batteries and Accumulators Regulations 2009) require recycling levels to rise to 45% of batteries placed on the market by 2016 (from around 3% now). To achieve this, the UK has an interim target to collect 10 per cent of portable batteries by the end of 2010 – by 2012 this is hoped to rise to 25%

Consequently, from 1 February 2010, any retailer who sells over 32kg of batteries per year (about 1 pack of 4 AAs a day) is required to provide a free recycling point for consumers to return their used / flat batteries. This means that whenever your TV remote control/torch/remote controlled helicopter or racing car runs out of batteries, you should be able to simply drop off the old ones when you pick up your new ones.

The science and why we should re-cycle. Whilst the exact chemical make-up of a battery varies from type to type, most contain heavy metals, which are the main cause for environmental concern. When disposed of incorrectly, these heavy metals may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes. This can contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife. Cadmium, for example, can be toxic to aquatic invertebrates and can bio-accumulate in fish, which damages ecosystems and makes them unfit for human consumption.

In other words, and without going too deeply into the science, batteries contain all sorts of unpleasant materials and should not really be put into landfill!

They need to be recycled!

Where can I re-cycle my batteries?

The new rules mean that from 1 February most retailers who sell batteries should have a collection point, making it easier for everyone to recycle. Re-cycling sites are now appearing at the major supermarkets and you should be able to find facilities in most of their local stores.

Keep an eye for the new logo that should be displayed where there are re-cycling facilities:-

What else can you do?

• • Use the mains when possible.
• • Use rechargeable batteries and a battery charger. This saves energy because the energy needed to manufacture a battery is on average 50 times greater than the energy it gives out. However, rechargeable batteries are not suitable for smoke alarms as they tend to run out suddenly, preventing the alarm from warning when battery power is low.
• • Opt for appliances that can use power derived from the sun via solar panels or from a winding mechanism, e.g. radios, mobile phone wind-up chargers.
• • Seek guidance on how to dispose or recycle batteries from either the distributor who originally supplied the battery, the battery manufacturer or the appliance manufacturer.