Collection - Integrated Waste Streams

A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study carried out by the Environmental Consultant ERM on behalf on the British Government in November 2000 has confirmed, that the recycling of batteries gives an environmental benefit, especially when using existing material recovery technologies such as steel industry. This is also valid for the recycling of other battery systems such as NiCd, NiMH, Button Cells and Li-Batteries. However, the impacts on the environment of the collection activities due to transport etc out-weigh the benefits resulting from recycling.

In order to benefit the environment the task is therefore to minimise the impact associated with the collection of Alkaline and Zinc-Carbon batteries. This would be possible by integrating the collection of these batteries with other waste streams, such as packaging or WEEE, and separate the materials afterwards for recycling in the steel industry.

The objective is to minimize the collection and transportation impacts while enabling the recycling of spent batteries. Several ideas are under evaluation at this point in time:

1. Use of existing household waste collection schemes
2. Use of existing packaging waste collection schemes
3. Use of schools and administration buildings
4. Use of newly developed electronic equipment collection schemes

This type of approach does have significant benefit for the environment and the economy:

• It avoids additional transportation emissions
• Collection system will capture almost all batteries disposed and we don't have to fear about low performance of the systems.
• Recycling can be done in existing facilities with the objective of resource recovery

First examples of "integrated waste management" are seen in several European countries:

1. In Sweden, battery collection boxes are attached to paper collection containers. The same truck which collects the paper, collects the batteries as well. The same approach is now being tested in Germany and Portugal.
2. In The Netherlands a project is going on to extract spent batteries from mixed household waste using magnets.
3. The collection of batteries with electrical appliances is already taking place in those countries where WEEE is established. There would be no merit in asking consumers to separate batteries from appliances.

   Consumer behaviour

   It is logical and natural, that the collection results depend mainly on the behaviour of the consumers. As batteries do not occupy much space in the household, people tend to keep the batteries in several places in there homes. Recent consumer studies in Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium show that the large majority of the population knows about the collection systems (80-90%), but only a small part of the population (30-50%) uses the systems in place.

   It is difficult for industry to influence the habits of consumers. Public entities are better placed to promote an effective collection system and also to help change consumers' attitudes through effective communication.

   It is also important that a reasonable period is allowed to achieve any collection target, taking into account the different European attitudes to recycling (certain Member States have effective systems and some do not have a framework in place at all).

   For primary batteries, a collection target of 50-130 g/inhabitant in all European countries is achievable, depending on the existing infrastructure and collection culture in the Member States. Producers/importers cannot be made responsible for achieving a collection target, which they cannot control, as they have no control over consumer behaviour.

   The lifetime and consumer behaviour of disposal of portable rechargeable batteries is different from that of portable primary batteries. Approx. 90% of non-industrial replace with portable. Rechargeable batteries are incorporated in electronic equipment and will be collected in the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment collection systems. A collection target for non-industrial rechargeable batteries must take into account hoarding and the availability of those batteries for collection.