BATTERY RECYCLING BIN FROM ECODEPO
Battery waste is a big problem in the UK with 600 million batteries being thrown away annually.
Some facts and figures taken from the Recycle-more.co.uk website are that 40,000 tonnes of portable batteries were sold in the UK in 2020 yet only 18,000 tonnes were recycled. A compelling argument for households to invest in a battery recycling bin.
Portable batteries are found everywhere in the modern home in all sorts of devices – remote controls for your TV and audio equipment, mobile phones and tablets, clocks, toys and even in your doorbell.
Commercially, portable batteries are to be found in many applications such as power tools, sensors and diagnostic equipment. All of these batteries can be recycled safely in a battery recycling bin for reprocessing and also saving precious resources.
There are several main types of portable batteries used in the UK found in many different devices. Lithium ion batteries are used in laptops and tablets and contain cobalt and steel. Zinc household batteries are used in most small appliances such as remote controls and clocks, these contain zinc, manganese and steel.
Power tools use nickel cadmium batteries which, as the name suggests, have nickel cadmium content. All these metals can be reprocessed for reuse in some shape or form.
When batteries are sent to landfill many of the earth’s precious metals are wasted and, worse still, can cause serious pollution. The chemicals and elements released as these batteries degrade leach into the soil and water table, releasing dangerous toxins and causing irreparable damage to our environment and wildlife.
If every household were to collect their used batteries in a battery recycling bin the environmental gains would be very significant.
Legislation passed in the UK in February 2010 means that retailers such as supermarkets and shops selling new batteries must provide disposal facilities for discarded batteries. Household waste recycling centres will also have dedicated facilities for used battery collection.
To help in your recycling efforts, the Battery recycling bin from EcoDepo will enable safe storage of your unwanted batteries.
Once full, you can simply bring them to your local supermarket collection point and play your part in saving precious resources and preserving our planet.