Business battery recycling service launched

Supported by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), the service is expected to help the UK boost its current 3% recycling rate for portable cells by capturing thousands of tonnes of batteries used in the commercial sector.

At present, WRAP is conducting trials to find the best way of collecting portable batteries from households (see letsrecycle.com story).

However, it does not expect that these alone will be enough to meet targets to recycle 25% of cells by 2012 and 45% by 2016, so the focus has also turned to businesses.

Speaking at the launch on Thursday (November 16), G&P managing director Michael Green said: “One of the major issues facing the UK is a lack of awareness of the need to recycle waste batteries.

“This new initiative provides a cost-effective waste battery recycling service available to all UK businesses, which hopefully will not only help increase the volume of batteries recycled, but also make people more aware that recycling waste batteries can be achieved quite easily,” he added.

Chris Davey, batteries programme manager at WRAP, explained that at present a large proportion of waste batteries were still slipping through the net.

He said: “We believe that many of these ‘missing' batteries are being used by the business community and so we welcome G&P's initiative in launching a collection service dedicated purely to business. It is another positive step to help the UK meet its targets.”

Scheme

Under G&P's scheme, businesses throughout the UK can order a Battbox through a dedicated Battbox website (http://www.battbox.co.uk/) for a one-off fee of £25 plus VAT. The box can take any type of small battery from AA cells to batteries used in mobile phones, laptop computers and wireless keyboards. Once full, the business can simply call the number on the box and the Battbox will be removed by G&P.

At present, the batteries will be collected by G&P's existing fleet of 20 trucks, which already offer collections across the country of larger quantities and sizes of batteries from car cells to those used in call centres. However, as the scheme progresses, G& P said it was likely to invest in some smaller collection vehicles to service more populated areas.

After collection, the batteries will be taken to G&P's main facility in Darlaston, near Wolverhampton, where the firm handles about 24 million batteries a year. Here they will be sorted according to the chemistry inside the battery, and sent for relevant reprocessing. The zinc cells – which make up over 90% of portable cells – are sent to G&P's facility near Matlock in Derbyshire for recycling.

G&P's commercial director Greg Clementson said: “Behind the scenes we are providing sophisticated logistics, sorting and recycling service which guarantees compliance with all current legislation. At the end of its life, even the Battbox itself will be recycled, often finding its way back into the battery industry as casing for automotive batteries.”

Explaining his expectations for the scheme, managing director Mr Green said: “My hope is that there will be an enormous uptake of these boxes. We think that the price is about right to provide businesses with increased environmental responsibility. Everyone we have spoken to thinks it is a really good idea.”