European battery recycling service brought to UK

The scheme, entitled Citron Recycle, will see a UK-wide collection network developed by Loddon with batteries being transported to Citron's recycling facility in the port of Le Havre in Northern France, where they will be broken down at high temperatures for reuse.

The service will be offered to businesses and local authorities, providing them the chance to recycle more batteries ahead of the introduction of new producer responsibility rules for recycling the waste stream under the EU Battery Directive (see letsrecycle.com story).

Today, Loddon eased fears over the environmental impact of transporting the batteries across the Channel, by explaining the proximity of the French facility to the UK's south coast.

Phil Stead, managing director of Loddon Recycling said: “Batteries would be brought back to the company's Hampshire depot for sorting and, if necessary, repackaged before being driven 20 miles to Portsmouth harbour where they then cross the Channel to the Le Havre facility. All-in-all it's roughly 60 miles in total and only has a small effect on the environment.”

Scheme

Loddon chose to work with Swiss-based firm Citron after it witnessed their recycling facility first hand and was impressed by their claims of 100% efficiency.

Mr Stead said: “About 18 months to two years ago we went over with the DTI and Environment Agency and they gave Citron the thumbs up as well and they were quite impressed. It is a much more beneficial option than any other process of recycling found in the UK.”

At the plant, the batteries are then subjected to an ‘oxyreducer' process, which separates zinc, cadmium, lead and mercury at 1200 degrees Celsius, while destroying any organic contamination in the batteries. The secondary commodities can then be used in smelting works, cement factories and also as road building materials.

UK-wide

Loddon already operates a red-bin battery-collection scheme with Hampshire county council at their 26 civic amenity centres and now intends to emulate Citron's France-wide collection of waste batteries in the UK.

Mr Stead said: “The network is in its infancy to do with the logistics but Citron have a nationwide logistics network in place in, which covers the whole of France and it works very very well.”

Collection

In addition to their work with Hampshire county council, Loddon also offer retailer take back schemes – where a company who put batteries into the marketplace recover a proportionate amount for recycling – as well as ad hoc collections for hospitals and fire services.

Mr Stead said: “We will collect all batteries but if we were to collect lead acid batteries then we would keep them here and then send them to the Enthoven facility in Derbyshire.

“It is a smelting plant really and the in the UK we only really have the facility for lead [acid batteries] and we don't have the capacity for any other type,” he added.