Spent batteries, collection programs

The most appropriate concept to evaluate the success of spent batteries collection campaigns or programs is the collection efficiency that is based on measured data like the quantity of batteries present in waste (municipal solid and other industrial waste) and the quantity collected on a national basis from the various collection sources (national, private, etc). 

The most appropriate concept to evaluate the success of spent battery collection campaigns or programs is the collection efficiency that is based on measured data the... 

To an extent, this impediment can be overcome by identifying convenient points for consumers to drop off their spent batteries. These can be operated by government, the private sector or both. Unfortunately, however, the initial experience of most used Ni-Cd battery collection programs has been that regulatory constraints greatly impede this effort. 

The State of New Jersey has passed a law restricting the sale and disposal of batteries (qv) containing mercury, requiring manufacturers to reduce the mercury content of each battery to 1 ppm by weight by 1995, and to estabhsh a collection program for spent batteries (14). Another New Jersey law bans the sale of products having cadmium, mercury, or other toxic materials in the packaging (14) (see Cadmiumand cadmium alloys Cadmium compounds Mercury compounds). 

If portable rechargeable batteries that have been sold with EEE for the last ten to fifteen years are not introduced in MSW streams, their presence in other streams needs to be identified and evaluated quantitatively. The work carried out by two national collection programs for spent batteries and by CollectNiCad is presented in this chapter. (CollectNiCad is an industry initiated and financed program with a commitment to collect 5,000 tonnes of Ni-Cd batteries in 4 years [1999-2003]). It demonstrates the willingness of the portable rechargeable battery industry to clearly identify the presence of its products in the various market positions and waste streams (Figure 1). A consumer survey made on the hoarding effect in France and the evaluation of quantities of batteries in MSW in France and the Netherlands will be illustrated. 

It is interesting to note that even in a country without tradition for the collection of spent batteries (all types) and of waste electrical and electronic equipment, the collection mode represents one of the three major ways for discarding used equipment. (N.B. In France the official SCRELEC campaign did only start one year before the hoarding study was performed). When this survey was performed, the existence of this national collection program had not yet reached a high level of knowledge by the consumer. 

The difficulty faced by any collection program (national or private) is to evaluate the exact quantity of spent batteries available for collection as it is the fraction that can be collected. Indeed, batteries kept at home or in shops that are not available for collection are not a threat for the environment as long as they remain under the property and control of their owner. 

Table 4. Inventory of the Collection Programs for Spent Batteries in the EU Member States... 

The burdens associated with collection, storage, transport and processing of spent Ni-Cd batteries and Ni-Cd battery manufacturing scrap are extremely important in determining whether or not a collection program will be viable. Economic penalties and... 

The typical life cycles of consumer batteries depend to some extent on their applications. Primary batteries employed in portable devices are most often discarded casually with domestic trash and end up in landfills. Exceptions exist in communities where deliberate efforts are made to collect spent batteries for recycling or proper disposal and in communities where battery vendors participate in incentive programs to return spent batteries to the manufacturers or collect them for recycling or proper disposal. The magnitude of such programs is still... 

In all handling of NiCd batteries the collection of spent batteries is very important. Large industrial batteries are easy to handle and they are recyded to more than 80%. For the small consumer batteries, the difficulties are great. Different, ambitious collection programs have however been developed and tested. 

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