Safe handling of batteries

The legislator differentiates between batteries for appliances, vehicles and industry. Accumulators, or batteries for short, are also considered batteries. All types of batteries are hazardous waste. A fundamental problem with accumulators is that they remain in use for a long time and even when they have reached the end of their useful life, they are often stored for a long time in old mobile phones or drills. Such conditions distort the so-called recycling rate, which falls as a result.

Likewise, the recycling of normal household batteries, newer forms of batteries and rechargeable batteries differs significantly. Valuable metals are still being lost to the recycling industry.

Battery categorization
Appliance batteries are widely used in numerous electrical and electronic devices that are operated independently of the mains supply. Automotive batteries are used to supply power to vehicle starters, lamps or ignition. Industrial batteries are used for a variety of industrial or commercial purposes. This also includes batteries for electric vehicles and all batteries that do not fall into the other two categories, according to the Federal Office for the Environment's waste management guide.

Ecological assessment
Batteries consist of valuable raw materials such as iron, nickel, manganese, zinc and lead. Thanks to very strict limits, harmful heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury are only present in traces. Even the extraction of raw materials from natural deposits has a negative impact on the environment. However, if consumers recycle batteries, fewer new raw materials have to be extracted.

One circumstance: despite the increasing use of lithium, the light metal is not yet recovered in Switzerland.

Alternatives to disposable batteries are solar powered devices, mains powered devices and the use of rechargeable batteries.

The use of rechargeable batteries in devices with high power requirements (toys, mobile phones, MP3 players, digital cameras, torches, photo flashes) is both economically and ecologically sensible. Also possible, but hardly worthwhile, is the use in devices with very low power requirements (remote controls, calculators, kitchen clocks). A disposable battery usually lasts for months or even years in such applications.

Refuse versus separate collection
Of the 120 million
Approx. 68 percent of portable batteries (approx. 3,500 tonnes) are collected separately and subsequently recycled (return rate 2016: 67.8 %). The rest, that is 35 million pieces, is disposed of with municipal waste despite the ban! This means that valuable metals are lost.

Consumers are obliged to return used batteries to a point of sale or another collection point. The law requires all suppliers, from wholesalers to kiosks, to take back used portable batteries free of charge. Many community collection points also have a container for battery recycling.

Caution with lithium-ion batteries
Caution should be exercised with lithium-ion batteries used in model making (e.g. model aircraft, model boats). In most cases, these are angular packs of battery cells without a solid casing, which have connection cables. Such batteries have no safety mechanism and should therefore be returned to the specialist shop.

If they end up in the collection of household batteries, a smouldering fire can occur in the worst case. If portable batteries are already in the battery mixture, they should be removed and recycled separately. Fires of lithium batteries are best extinguished with sand. Used automotive and industrial batteries must also be collected separately and sent for recycling.

The return to the points of sale or to an authorised collection point is free of charge for consumers.

Lithium batteries in production
According to the VDE Verband der Elektrotechnik, Elek-tronik, Informationstechnik e.V. (Association for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies), lithium batteries are considered safe as long as your employees handle them properly. The VDE recommends storing lithium batteries in accordance with DIN EN 62281, which is intended for transport, in a dry, cool and well-ventilated place, if possible in the original packaging, and not stacking the cartons higher than specified by the manufacturer.

When lithium batteries are made available for production, the quantities ordered must by law be limited to the feasible minimum, such as the daily requirement. Because lithium-ion batteries are repeatedly disposed of incorrectly, fires and explosions occur in incineration plants. Therefore, companies that use Li-ion batteries should also install fire extinguishing equipment.

Manufacturers, importers and distributors of lithium batteries must take back and dispose of used batteries in accordance with the Battery Act (BattG) §§ 5 to 9.

Batteries recycled abroad
Since the early 1990s, portable batteries have been recycled in Germany. The recycling plant recovers iron, manganese, zinc and mercury and converts the pollutants into a harmless form. Nickel-cadmium, lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries are sorted out before treatment and handed over to specialised companies, mostly located abroad, for recycling.

Licensed disposal companies collect vehicle and industrial batteries and export them abroad for recycling. Vehicle batteries are turned into

Lead, plastics and battery acid are recovered, and various metals are recovered from industrial batteries, depending on the type. Only exports to OECD or EU countries are permitted.

A permit from the Federal Office for the Environment is required for this. Exporters must prove that the treatment is environmentally compatible.

Financing fund
An advanced disposal fee (VEG) covers the costs of collection, transport and recycling of spent batteries. The VEG is included in the sales price. The federal government determines the amount of the fee, which is based on the type and weight of the battery. Inobat Batterie recycling Schweiz collects, administers and applies the VEG on behalf of the Bafu.

Inobat also uses this fund to finance awareness campaigns to promote the return of batteries. The organisation also acts as a reporting office for all batteries that enter the Swiss market. The legal basis allows certain types of batteries to be exempted from VEG.

The prerequisites for this are a well-functioning collection system and a secure financing system in the industry with a very high return rate. With rates of over 95 percent, this condition is considered to be fulfilled for vehicle batteries.